


Before There Was You

by BloodyAugust



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alt!Chloe, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, First Time, Lesbian Sex, Max Stays In Touch, Maximum Victory - Freeform, Minor Steph Gingrich/Chloe Price, Vixcine, William is alive, amberprice, chasefield, online dating au, when Alt!Chloe met Rachel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-02-09 15:16:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 34,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12890661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodyAugust/pseuds/BloodyAugust
Summary: Chloe Price was a lucky girl. Her dad, William, doted on her. Her best friend, Max, kept in touch with her after moving to Seattle for 5 years.But Chloe had a secret.She had a crush on her best friend but never dared to tell her.And now she was too late.Chloe decided to seek a rebound from an online dating site.Never did she expect to get more than she bargained for.





	1. Are You Ready For Me?

**Author's Note:**

> Intrigued by Alt!Chloe, this story explores how Alt!Chloe will be like in the face of love.  
> Growing up with love from William and Max, this Chloe is less cynical and more innocent than the blue hair punk that we love.  
> All this is going to change when a special someone waltz into her life.

They said your first love was the sweetest. It was supposed to be all rainbows and butterflies and puppies and unicorns. But Chloe? Chloe never experienced the puppies and unicorns that cheesy romance movies promised. No. Chloe felt suffocated, like a rock pressing on her chest till she could not breathe.

It was not because Eliot was a bad lover. No, Eliot was the nicest guy in Arcadia Bay. He brought chocolate to Chloe when she depressed due to her PMS, and made her soup when she was having menstrual cramps. Eliot shared Chloe’s love for chemistry and was also a straight-A student. Their dates were in libraries and cafes studying for exams. It was plain, it was simple, it was supposed to be sweet.

However, Chloe never felt much for him, no matter how much love and care he showered on her. In the end, Chloe had to cut him loose. Eliot cried and begged for another chance, but Chloe never shed a single tear when she said her goodbye.

Chloe thought it was because Eliot was a guy and she always had more of a thing for Pris than Deckard in Blade Runner that could have been a problem.

So during her last year of high school, Chloe agreed to be Steph’s girlfriend. Steph was Chloe’s Dungeons and Dragons game mate in school and was as into Blade Runner as she was. Chloe believed Steph would be the perfect person to let her experience the rainbows and butterflies that cheesy romance movies promised.

But alas, the reality was never what it seemed.

Chloe got bored of this relationship in exactly 2 months.

It was not because Steph was a bad lover. No, Steph was the nicest girl in Arcadia Bay. She stayed by Chloe’s side all night when Chloe was down with high fever. She nursed Chloe back to health and did all of Chloe’s homework for her when she was sick. Steph shared Chloe’s love for movies and games. Their dates were in each other’s room, cuddling and watching cult movies and playing Steph’s Xbox games. It was plain, it was simple, it was supposed to be sweet.

However, all the similar interest in tabletop RPG and movies and games could not sustain Chloe’s attention. In the end, Chloe had to cut her loose. Steph sniffled and sobbed as she moved her stuff out of Chloe’s room, but Chloe never shed a single tear when she said her goodbye.

 

* * *

 

“And so, I wonder if I’m ever capable of loving someone, you know?”

Chloe sighed into her latte, sipping it before setting her mug down.

“Chloe, you just haven’t met the person of your dreams yet. Give it some time, I’m sure you’ll find someone you adore.”

Max smiled sweetly at Chloe, hands holding tightly to her mug of hazelnut latte.

Chloe looked into Max’s baby blue eyes, the color of the sky in spring, the color of the clear, calm sea, the color of the most brilliant of sapphires. Chloe loved drowning in Max’s baby blue eyes.

It was not just Max’s eyes that she adored. In fact, Chloe loved everything about Max. Her frizzy brown hair that always covered her face stubbornly. Her freckles that looked like constellations in the night. Her small, sharp nose that looked perfect on her face. Her pouty lips, that Chloe had dreamed of kissing a million times since she was 11.

Chloe had a crush on Max since they were kids but she never dared to let her feelings show. After all, Chloe cherished their friendship more than life itself. She reckoned that keeping Max as a friend will be forever, but confessing her feelings to Max may spell the end of their friendship if Max did not feel the same way. Moreover, Max seemed to be straight as an arrow, always gushing over the skater boys in grade school. That was the main reason why Chloe took up skateboarding. She wanted to be the skater that Max loved so much.

Max did admire Chloe, the skater girl, when they were kids. Max also adored Chloe, her Captain of the Pirates of Arcadia Bay. Chloe just wasn’t sure if Max loved Chloe as Chloe herself.

6 years ago, Max moved to Seattle with her parents when her father found a job there. Chloe was heartbroken, but they kept in touch. William would pack the family in their Landrover and bring them on a road trip to Portland, then to Seattle in the summer. Ryan would also bring Max and Vanessa back to Arcadia Bay for the families to catch up over Christmas. So even though Max had moved, she was always around during the holidays, and that was all that mattered to Chloe.

So when Max told Chloe that she was coming back to Arcadia Bay to study in photography in Blackwell College, the same college that Chloe was studying in, she was ecstatic. She could finally spend all her time with Max again, like old times.

“Come on, _Price_.”

An annoying, high pitch voice broke Chloe out of her daydream.

“You just need to get laid to feel for that person. Why the fuck did you not fuck your two exes? Are you asexual?”

An arm wrapped around Max possessively as the owner of the annoying voice threw Chloe a smug look.

“Look at my _Maxine_. Used to be shy and clueless, but after some lessons in bed, she’s becoming a tiger in be-”

“Tori! Stop it!” Max’s face flushed into a bright red as she looked at Chloe sheepishly.

Chloe rolled her eyes and looked away. She could feel bile rising in her throat.

When Max returned to Arcadia Bay 3 months ago, Chloe thought she could finally spend all her time with Max again, just like old times. She even requested William to allow her to stay in the dormitory even though their house was only twenty minutes ride from Blackwell.

Chloe even planned for her room to be near to Max’s, begging William to pull some strings in Blackwell to get this done. Chloe planned everything to get close to Max. What she did not expect was for a wild card to appear to throw her plans into disarray.

Victoria Fucking Chase. The Queen Bee of Blackwell was a well-known bitch in school. In fact, Victoria was being such a bitch to Max, Max grumbled to Chloe every day about Victoria’s bullying antics. All that changed when Max and Victoria were paired together for a photography project. Suddenly, Max was going from “Victoria is such a bitch” to “Victoria is such a talented photographer”. It did not help that Victoria had totally fallen for Max’s dorkiness. Who wouldn’t? Max was too cute.

Chloe thought Max was too straight and would reject all of Victoria’s advances. But, no. After the photographer project, they actually got together, to Chloe’s horror and disgust.

Why the hell had Max accepted such a bitch for a girlfriend was beyond her. If this was some other girl, Chloe would have thought she was with Bitchtoria for her money. Her wealth was her only positive attribute anyway. But Max was not such a girl. She would never be with someone just for their money. Was Max under some kind of voodoo spell?

“I know!” Victoria snapped her fingers like she had just solved the world’s greatest mystery.

“Maybe we can sign you up on Fridae to find you a hot girlfriend. Or a boyfriend if that's more your speed.”

“Fridae? What's that?” Max turned to look curiously at Victoria.

“It's a dating website for LGBT. I know many Blackwell students that are on Fridae. You'll be surprised how many gay people there are in college.” Victoria replied with a snigger, before taking a sip of her vanilla latte.

“And you know this… how?” Chloe asked skeptically.

“Duh, I’m Victoria Chase! I know everything. The Vortex Club keeps a tab on everyone. Why do you think people are so desperate to join the Vortex Club?” Victoria responded with a smirk.

Victoria’s bitchiness rating just got levelled up a notch in Chloe’s mind.

“Chloe, you should give it a try. Who knows? You might just find someone special from there.” Max was totally oblivious to her girlfriend’s bitchiness. Instead, she looked expectedly at Chloe, bouncing in her seat with excitement.

Chloe gave Max a look of doubt. “I'm not so sure about that. You never know if it's a psycho you're talking to.”

“Come on, _Price_.”

Chloe cringed. She hated Victoria’s annoying tone, hated the way she would always call her by her last name.

“The people on Fridae are more afraid that _you_ might be the psycho behind the screen.”

Jesus. Chloe wished she could stuff some napkins into Victoria’s mouth to stop her from talking. However, Max the Oblivious was just staring at Victoria like she had just sprouted gold from her mouth.

“Online dating is super normal nowadays. Don't be a chickenshit, _Price._ ”

“Alright, alright. I'll give it a try, jeez.” Chloe raised her hands up in exasperation. She very much would like to bitchslap Victoria for calling her chickenshit, but she was Max’s girlfriend, and it took her all her willpower not to slap the shit out of Victoria.

“Let me have a look at your profile when you're done registering your account, okay, Chlo?” Max looked at her with her large, doe eyes. Damn. Chloe could never resist when Max was looking at her like that.

“Okay, I will. I promise.”

 

* * *

 

Staying near Max in the dorm was meant to be a great plan to get close to her childhood best friend.

“Ah… yes, yes, YES! Max! Right there!”

Now it had become Chloe’s greatest misery.

“Harder Max… oh yes, this feels _so_ fucking good!”

Chloe turned her music louder to drown out the lovebirds’ cries of pleasure.

Santa Monica Dreams poured out from her speakers.

_Goodbye to the roses on your street._

_Goodbye to the paintings on the wall._

Didn't they know the walls of the dorm rooms are super thin? Or did Victoria scream so loudly to intentionally mark Max as her property, like the bitch she was?

_You’re somewhere. You're somewhere._

_I could go there but I don't._

Maybe Victoria was just trying to inform Chloe vocally that Max was off limits.

That Max belonged to Victoria.

Chloe could feel her heart clenched at that thought and tried her best to push that idea out of her head.

_I'm singing songs about the future, wondering where you are._

She cursed herself for being such a coward and not confessing her love to Max when she had the chance all these years.

_You're making love now to the lady down the road._

_No I don't. I don't want to know._

The song hit such a raw nerve that Chloe had to fight back her tears.

_‘Fucking great. What a great song to accentuate how I feel right now.’_

Chloe sniffled and angrily opened up a new tab on her Google chrome while typing in the words ‘Fridae.com’ into the search field.

What better way to distract herself from her misery than to look for a fuck buddy through an online dating website? Maybe getting her V card punched and getting laid would be the best way to get over this whole emotional mess she was feeling.

Chloe clicked on the ‘Register Now’ button and was directed to a page where the words  ‘Please Choose a Username’ was staring back at her.

What username should Chloe use?

Something unique.

Something that would represent her.

Chloe typed in ‘CaptainC’ before backspacing it away. She sighed and ran her fingers through her short, strawberry blonde hair in frustration.

No, Chloe. No more Max related usernames allowed.

Chloe looked around her room for some inspiration. Just then, Are You Ready For Me by Firewalk came roaring out from her speakers. The fast-paced, punk rock song drowned out Chloe’s sorrow in a beat.

“Ha! Are you ready for me, ladies of Arcadia Bay?” Chloe smirked as she typed in ‘Firewalker’ as the username and entered.

After keying in her personal details, her preferred password, and uploading a photo that showed the back view of her looking at the sunset, a photo taken by Max at the lighthouse, their favorite haunt before Max started dating Victoria, Chloe was brought to the “More About Me” page.

Chloe thought about it for a few seconds.

“Looking for someone to firewalk with me. Are you ready to ride the flame of passion? If you are looking for FWB with NSA, I’m your girl.”

Satisfied with what she wrote, she clicked ‘save’ and her profile was up and running on the dating website.

Within minutes, she received 6 hearts and 2 messages from various users.

She clicked the first message sent to her by the username Snowheart, which read, “R u gonna melt my heart? (:”

Chloe smiled and typed a reply back to Snowheart.

She clicked on the second message. The user photo was a picture of a single, blue feather, and the username read Freespirited.

Intriguing.

She opened up the message.

 **Freespirited** : _Hey, fellow Firewalker!_

 **Freespirited** : _Are you ready for me? ;)_

Chloe grinned widely. Maybe this online dating thing wasn’t so bad after all.

 **Firewalker** : _I’m always ready for a fellow Firewalker. So wat brings u to Fridae?_

 **Freespirited** : _U._

 **Firewalker** : _Wat?_

 **Freespirited** : _U r the reason i’m on Fridae, sweetie._

Wow, what a flirt. Chloe smiled to herself. Not that she was complaining. She would take any attention thrown to her now if it meant forgetting Max.

 **Firewalker** : _Not as sweet as you. ;) So wat’s ur name?_

 **Freespirited** : _It’s rude to ask for my name without giving urs._

 **Firewalker** : _Ahhhh, my bad. I’m Chloe._

 **Freespirited** : _Chloe… I love tt name._

 **Freespirited** : _I wonder how it’ll sound moaning ur name out loud…_

Chloe’s face flushed red as she read the latest message from Freespirited. Gosh, this person must be an expert in flirting online. Two could play the game though.

 **Firewalker** : _Then u better tell me ur name so I can moan ur name out loud when u go down on me._

Chloe blushed as she clicked ‘send’. She couldn’t believe she was talking dirty to a stranger she barely knew online minutes ago.

 **Freespirited** : _You betcha!_

 **Freespirited** : _Imma gonna make u scream so hard!_

 **Freespirited** : _I’m Rachel. It’ll b the only name u’ll rem when we meet. Trust me ;)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are You Ready For Me is actually by Pretty Vicious. In (Spoiler) Before The Storm, Chloe's favorite band, Firewalk, sang this song.
> 
> FWB: Friends with Benefit  
> NSA: No Strings Attached
> 
> Fridae.com is a real LGBT dating website that was popular in the 2000s


	2. Am I Ready For You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe met up with the stranger she just knew online. She looked nothing like the photo she showed Chloe. Chloe was not ready for this.

Chloe brushed her fingers through her hair anxiously.

Lifted her hand to read the time on her watch anxiously.

Tapped her feet on the concrete floor anxiously.

Tap, Tap, Tap.

Took her phone out, unlocked her phone, opened up her Whatsapp, re-read the messages. Made sure she got the address right. Made sure she got the day right. Made sure she got the time right. Pressed the home button. Standby her phone. Stuffed it back into her back pocket.

For the seventh time in five minutes.

Chloe was early. Half an hour early. She was never early. Not even when meeting Max for coffee. She loved to be fashionably late. She loved to make a dramatic entrance by being late. Punctuality was never her strong suit. But here she was. Chloe Price. Half an hour early to meet an online stranger she barely knew.

Chloe was nervous. She was never nervous. She was always confident, always so sure of herself, always so sure of her decisions. But not this time. She prayed that whoever she was meeting was not a serial killer or a rapist.

_God, please let me come home in one piece._

Chloe was careful though. She had her exit plans all planned out. If the online stranger was nothing like her photos, she would send an SOS message to Max, and Max would call Chloe to inform her of an ‘emergency’ which Chloe needed to take care of urgently and leave the place.

Chloe had also informed Max where she would be going and Max was to check in on Chloe every hour, despite Victoria screeching like a banshee over Chloe being a chickenshit and overly paranoid. Not that she was denying it. She was so paranoid over this “date” that she even shared her ‘Find My Phone’ location with Max so that Max would be able to check where she was, in case she got kidnapped. Chloe’s instruction to Max was, if she couldn’t get Chloe, Max was to seek help from William immediately. Chloe hoped these precautions she had taken was as foolproof as what she envisioned in her mind.

Yes, Chloe was absolutely skeptical about this meeting. After all, the selfie Freespirited sent to Chloe was far too pretty. That couldn’t possibly be her real photo. For all she knew, Freespirited could be a 50-year-old pervert hiding behind the screen, preying on college girls like herself.

Chloe shivered at that thought. Maybe she shouldn’t have agreed to meet Freespirited so soon after chatting online. That was too impulsive.

“Are you here to firewalk with me?” Someone whispered deep and low into Chloe’s ear, causing Chloe to spin around to the source of the voice so quickly, she almost fell over. An arm reached out to grab Chloe by the waist, preventing her from tripping over in an otherwise embarrassing manner.

“Whoa! Careful, Firewalker. You don’t wanna injure yourself before our date even started.”

Chloe looked up to see a pair of cat-like eyes staring back at her. She recognized the face that was now dangerously close to her, so close she could almost see herself reflected against the stranger’s hazel eyes.

It’s Freespirited. Rachel.

She looked nothing like the selfie she sent to Chloe. No, no, no. She looked _waaaaay_ better than the picture she sent Chloe.

Long, dirty blonde hair framed her oval-shaped face with flawless skin. A blue feather earring dangled on her left ear. Her hazel eyes searing into Chloe’s azure eyes as if trying to uncover her innermost secret. Her pink lips curled up into a smile that almost looked like a smirk. Her smile was dazzling, so captivating and mesmerizing, Chloe could not stop gawking at her.

“I’m flattered that you can’t stop looking at me, but shall we grab a coffee first before you get back to staring at me?” Rachel winked cheekily at Chloe.

Heat rushed onto Chloe’s face, flushing her cheeks into a deep crimson. That was when she realised she had been gaping at Rachel while still being nestled in her arms. She broke herself out of that embarrassing position and poised herself, clumsily rubbing her hands on her jeans before reaching out to shake Rachel’s hand vigorously.

“N-nice to meet you. I'm Chloe Price.”

“Haha, I know. You’re wearing your Firewalk T-shirt like you said you would. It’s cute. I’m sure you already know, I’m Rachel. Rachel Amber. And erm, we’re not going to a business meeting, Chloe. There’s no need to be so formal.” Rachel chuckled as Chloe let go of Rachel’s hand awkwardly and laughed weakly.

This was bad. Chloe had planned for all the worst case scenario in case her online date went south. She was prepared for the worst, but never once prepared herself for the best.

Now that this was better than any best case scenario she could have ever imagined, she was fumbling.

Rachel was so hot.

Chloe was so screwed.

“So where shall we go for our coffee?” Rachel chirped.

“There's a Starbucks in the mall,” Chloe cleared her voice nervously. “I’m thinking we can have a drink there.”

“Bleargh! Starbucks’ coffee is horrible.” Rachel crinkled her nose in protest, before reaching out to grab Chloe’s hand. “Let me show you what real coffee is. There’s a hipster cafe that's just around the corner. Let’s go!”

Not giving Chloe any chance to object, Rachel held on to Chloe’s hand firmly and gently dragged her down the street.

They crossed a junction, turned the corner and went down a small alley before reaching a dubious looking joint. Chloe looked around skeptically. The shop had no sign nor a blackboard to indicate that this was a coffee shop. The glass door and window was tinted so there was no way to look inside.

What a shady, little place.

_Fuck! Rachel is not trying to rob me, is she?_

Rachel gave Chloe a cheeky smile before sliding the glass door opened. Immediately, the fresh aroma of coffee hit Chloe like a truck. She secretly heaved a sigh of relief. This really _was_ a coffee shop.

“Welcome to the Foxhole!” The barista greeted cheerfully.

Chloe took in the sight before her. Rachel ain’t kidding when she said this was a hipster cafe.

Industrial chic design, concrete walls with exposed bricks, mismatched coffee tables and chairs - one of the tables was even an old sewing machine redesigned into a coffee table, and an odd bus stop pole in the middle of the cafe.

A few hipsters were sitting around, sipping coffee.

They had just gotten a seat near the bus stop pole when Chloe received her first check-in message from Max.

**_First Mate Max:_ ** _Hey Chlo, hows ur date coming along? U dead yet? (^_^)_

**_Chloe:_ ** _Pfft. Not funny Max. She’s NOTHING like her photo._

**_First Mate Max:_ ** _Holy shit. U ok Chlo? Need me to activate ‘ur mom is in hosp’ call?_

**_Chloe:_ ** _Chill Mad Max. I mean like she’s even HOTTER than that pic she sent, can u believe it?_

_Fucking score!_

_BTW we r at tis super hipster cafe, u’d luv it_

**_First Mate Max:_ ** _Aw! Hv fun! Dun do anything i wun do :):) XOXO_

Chloe couldn’t help but smile after reading Max’s messages.

“This place is so pretentious, it’s pretty cool. I’m sure Max will love this.” Chloe said absentmindedly after Rachel came back with their coffee.

“Who’s Max? Your ex-boyfriend?”

Chloe took the coffee from Rachel, smiling. “No, no. Max’s my best friend. It’s short for Maxine. But she’s a hipster so she likes to shorten her name to Max.” Chloe was beaming. Max always had that kind of effect on Chloe.

“Your best friend, hmm? So was she the one you were messaging just now?”

“Well, yeah. She wanted to know how my date is going.”

“Ah, I see. So your best friend is keeping tabs on you?”

“What? No. She’s just worried about me since this is the first time I’m meeting someone from online. Besides, she has a girlfriend, who is pretty hot but super bitchy. No idea what she sees in her.”

Rachel raised her eyebrows at this new information.

“So… your best friend is gay and you don’t like her girlfriend?”

“Well, Max’s not exactly gay. Maybe bi?” Chloe shrugged. “I don’t know why she is with this girl though. She is like the biggest bitch in school! And Max is like the nicest person in college. I always wonder what Max sees in her. It’s like the greatest mystery of the universe.”

Rachel’s lips curled up into a smirk as she leaned forward to look Chloe in the eyes.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Chloe shifted in her seat uncomfortably, trying to look away from Rachel’s cat-like eyes. She didn’t know why, but Rachel’s glare always seemed to be able to stare straight into Chloe’s soul.

“Well, well, well. Looks like Chloe Price has a crush on her BFF.”

Chloe’s eyes widened in shock. Rachel did manage to look straight into Chloe’s soul, hitting the nail on the head.

“What?! No! No, no. Max is just my best childhood friend. I couldn’t possibly have a crush on her!”

“Don’t try to cover it up, Chloe. You are already blushing. Besides, I study theater in college, so I’m good at reading people. Studying human behavior is what I do, as an actor.” Rachel sipped her flat white nonchalantly, leaving Chloe flustered and flabbergasted. Rachel placed her cup down and continued, “So what happened to you and her? Didn’t you tell her how you feel?”

Chloe looked down at her latte, hoping that avoiding Rachel’s gaze would block her from accessing her innermost thoughts. She just met Rachel, and she was already able to pull out the secret that she had kept from everyone since forever.

Chloe had never told anyone how she felt about Max. Not even to William, and they shared everything. It was a secret Chloe hoped to carry to her grave, wishing her feelings for Max would die down after seeing Max happy with someone else.

She was happy for Max, but why then did it hurt so bad?

Rachel was still looking at Chloe, waiting for her response. Seemed like she would not give up until Chloe gave her an answer.

Should Chloe trust her? It seemed weird, but Chloe felt awfully comfortable with Rachel despite only knowing her for an hour. Perhaps she could trust this stranger who could see right through her. Perhaps it was time to finally let go of this secret that had been burdening her for the longest time.

“No. I’m not sure if she felt the same way.” Chloe finally shared. “She is my best friend since as long as I can remember, and her friendship is very precious to me. I’m not sure I’m willing to risk everything for a chance I’m not even sure I had. I mean, she was pretty straight before she got together with Victoria, I’m just not sure if she would be gay for me.”

“Wait, did you say Victoria?” Rachel’s eyes lit up, raising her eyebrows, “You don’t mean Victoria Chase, do you?”

“Yeah, it’s Victoria Chase. Do you know her?”

Rachel actually laughed.

“My, my. Do _I_ know her. This is a fucking small town. Shouldn’t be surprised that you will know people I know.” Rachel suddenly seemed to remember a crucial question. “I forgot to ask, where did you say you are studying again?”

“Erm, I study in Blackwell College. I don’t think we ever talked about it.”

Rachel raised her hand to run her fingers through her long, blonde hair as she bit down on her lower lip.

“Damn. I should have asked this question before asking you out.” Rachel gave Chloe a weak smile. “You see, Chloe, I don’t really date Blackwell students.”

“Wha-? Why?”

“‘Cos I’m also from Blackwell, and that place is a rumor mill. Especially with Vortex Club members around. They thrived on gossips. Gosh, you ain’t from Vortex Club, are you?”

Chloe shook her head violently. “No way! No, I’m not from that pretentious club.”

“But your best friend, Max, is?”

“Of course not. I told you she’s the nicest girl in school. She doesn’t join clubs like that. She had never even been to a party hosted by the Vortex Club.”

Rachel mulled over this detail.

“You mean Victoria Chase actually got attached to someone outside the Vortex Club, and her girlfriend doesn’t even party? This is very interesting.” Rachel once again took a sip of her coffee, trying to make sense of this. “Maybe Victoria is a changed woman. Or maybe your friend, Max, is so wonderful, she actually managed to change Victoria Chase.”

“Well, I told you Max is wonderful. But how exactly do you know Victoria? You from Vortex Club?”

Rachel went quiet.

Took a sipped of her coffee. Twiddled with her coffee cup. Looked up at Chloe. Brushed her hair with her fingers again. And finally spoke.

“I used to be. That’s how Victoria and I knew each other. We actually ran Vortex Club, together with another guy whose family practically owned the school.”

Chloe furrowed her brows. She did not expect to go on a date with a Vortex Club snob, let alone a friend of Bitchtoria. And it was not just any snob either. Rachel was actually running the club with Bitchtoria?

Rachel could sense Chloe’s uneasiness.

“I’m no longer in Vortex Club if that’s what’s bothering you.”

“Why did you quit? Isn’t Vortex Club the elite club of Blackwell that all the cool kids want to be in?”

Chloe’s voice hitched a pitch higher. This clearly was bothering her more than Rachel thought it would.

“Victoria and I fell out due to a certain incident. She tried to meddle in my affairs, which was none of her business, really. Nathan wanted me to stay, but I don’t see a point, being around a bunch of sycophants who are always trying to suck up to Prescott and Chase.”

Prescott and Chase. That sounded familiar to Chloe, yet something seemed to be missing.

Prescott and Chase.

Prescott. _Amber_ and Chase. PAC.

Something in Chloe’s mind clicked. No wonder she found Rachel’s last name so familiar.

“You are the daughter of the District Attorney, James Amber! Am I right? I’ve heard rumors that the Vortex Club is run by the 3 big names of Arcadia Bay, the PAC - Prescott, Amber, and Chase!” Chloe exclaimed, getting excited about this piece of information. “Holy shit! I never knew the DA’s daughter is gay!”

Rachel reached over to give Chloe a light slap on her hand causing Chloe to flinch at the sudden contact.

“Shush you. First of all, I’m bi. Secondly, I’m no longer in Vortex Club, so it’s just PC now. Thirdly, don’t bring my dad into this. Unlike Chase and Prescott, I don’t need my dad to make a name for myself. I am fully capable of doing that myself.”

Rachel huffed, picked up her coffee and downed it in one gulp, leaving Chloe gaping at her sudden outburst.

“I think that’s enough chit-chat for now. Shall we go?”

It was not a request, but more of a demand as Rachel had already stood up and was walking towards the door before Chloe could even react. Chloe fumbled to finish up her latte before grabbing her bag to follow Rachel out of the cafe.

Rachel opened the door, walked out of the cafe and suddenly stopped, causing Chloe to bump straight into her.

“Careful, Tiger. So where did you park your car?”

“I didn’t drive,” Chloe replied.

“What? How did you come here then?”

“The bus, duh.”

Rachel rolled her eyes at Chloe.

“You could have Uber here, duh. No driver’s license?”

“I do, but -” Chloe looked subconsciously at her right arm and bit down on her lower lip anxiously.

Rachel followed Chloe’s gaze to her right arm, then looked up into Chloe’s eyes.

Her eyes were clouded with fear.

Rachel held out her hand to hold Chloe’s hand in hers.

“You okay?”

“Yes, thanks…” Chloe took a deep breath and exhaled. “I used to drive. Dad bought me this sweet red truck for my sixteenth birthday. It’s really cool, you know. I really love driving it around.”

Chloe held onto Rachel’s hand tightly.

“I met with an accident a few months later. Some asshole in a SUV hit my truck. My truck crashed into a ditch. Flipped over.”

“Oh dear, Chloe…”

Chloe released Rachel’s hand and started removing her jacket. The moment she took it off, Rachel could see the scars on her right arm. A long scar snaked from her forearm all the way to her elbow. Above that was a burn scar on the upper arm.

Rachel instinctively reached up to run her fingers along Chloe’s scar, feeling the bump from the scar tissue against her skin. Rachel gently brushed her hand from Chloe’s wrist up her forearm to her elbow, causing goosebumps to form on Chloe’s skin. She finally rested her palm on Chloe’s burn scar, gently caressing it with her thumb.

Chloe gasped softly.

Rachel’s hand was smooth and soft.

Her touch?

Electrifying.

Chloe tried to steady her breath by inhaling deeply before finally remembering what she needed to say.

“Th- this is a constant reminder of that day. Perhaps it’s also a warning from the big guy above that maybe I am not meant to own a car and drive. It’s a painful reminder though. Ugly scars of yesteryears.”

“They ain't ugly scars, Chloe. They are your Badge of Honor, for surviving the car crash. It could have gone much worse. You could have died, or worse, paralyzed from the neck down, but you survived it to tell a tale, and with battle scars to show.”

Rachel looked up to stare into Chloe’s eyes again. The hazel eyes that could pierce through Chloe’s thoughts and fear and anxiety had now softened into care and concern and compassion.

Chloe pondered over what Rachel said.

That was a pretty awesome way of looking at the car accident that changed Chloe’s life.

Most importantly, Rachel did not find the scars ugly.

Rachel called them the “Badge of Honor.”

Rachel was amazing.

Amazingly hot and incredibly kind.

Chloe blushed thinking about that.

“You know,” Rachel’s voice pulled Chloe out of her stupor. “If the scars bothered you that much, you can actually have a badass tattoo to cover them up. The long scar can be something long and winding, like a snake or a vine or a ribbon, while your burn scar could be a larger tattoo. Like a rose or a butterfly, or even -”

“A skull.” Chloe flashed Rachel a smile. “A skull that represents my brush with death, and my rebirth.”

Rachel smiled back.

“That’s right, Chloe. It’s going to be an awesome sleeve tattoo. You’re going to look so hot with it.”

Rachel gave Chloe a wink, causing Chloe’s already pink cheeks to blush even redder.

“Well, I guess I will have to give you a lift. Luckily I brought an extra helmet today. Let’s go.”

Rachel once again grabbed Chloe’s hand and led her towards the main street.

Chloe realized that had happened a lot today. Rachel taking her hand and leading the way.

With Max, Chloe was always the one dragging her everywhere. Max was indecisive and accommodating. Chloe was always the one coming up with where to go and what to do. But Rachel? Rachel always knew what she wanted to do, where she wanted to go. Chloe just needed to go along with it.

It was kind of nice.

“Here we are. My humble steed.” Rachel held out her hand to show off her ride proudly.

Beside Rachel was a scooter in metallic red. Unlike the Vespa, her scooter looked really sporty. On the body of the scooter was the words GILERA.

“I hope you don’t have a phobia of pillioning on a bike after your accident.” Rachel gave Chloe a cheeky smile before handing her a helmet.

“Er… I’m not sure? I’ve never ride a bike before.” Chloe tried to sound confident, but her voice was cracking.

“Don’t worry. It’s like riding a bicycle. Just faster. Come, hop on.”

Rachel got onto her scooter and steady it for Chloe. Chloe hastily put on her helmet before getting onto the scooter, straddling her legs on both sides.

“Hold on, Chloe. You don’t want to fall off the bike!”

Chloe had no idea where to put her hands. She clumsily placed them on Rachel’s shoulders.

“Not on my shoulders, Chloe! Wrap your hands around me!”

Chloe obeyed, removing her hands from Rachel’s shoulders and wrapping her hands awkwardly around Rachel’s waist.

Gosh. Rachel smell so nice. A tinge of rose and vanilla… maybe sandalwood too?

Rachel grabbed Chloe’s arms and pulled them forward to tighten them around her waist, causing Chloe to lose her balance and lean completely on Rachel.

Chloe yelped out in surprise, immediately bit down on her lip to stop that embarrassing sound from coming out of her mouth.

“You gotta hold onto me more tightly. Though your scars are pretty sexy, I don't think you should add more to the collection. You ready?” Rachel gave Chloe’s hands a pat before revving up the engine of her scooter.

Before Chloe knew it, she was holding onto Rachel for her dear life.

Rachel was a freaking speed monster on wheels.

This was terrifying.

This was exhilarating.

This was what it’s like to be alive!

“Woooahhh hooooo!” Chloe yelled as they sped down the streets of Arcadia Bay.

 

* * *

 

**_Chloe_ ** _: Mad Max, she brought me to a junkyard. A FUCKING JUNKYARD! If u dun hear fr me in an hr, call 911. Maybe she really is a goddamn killer_

Chloe hastily clicked the ‘send’ button and stuff her phone into her pocket.

“So, um… Why are we here for? Dumpster diving?” Chloe stuffed her hands into the back pocket of her jeans as she asked nervously.

Rachel turned her head back to give Chloe a wink and continued walking.

“Can you say something? It’s kinda creeping me out.”

Again, Rachel spoke nothing as she marched forward.

“Well, if you plan to kill me, at least choose a better dumping ground. The ocean is pretty cool. Or the lighthouse by the cliff. It’s a really secluded area but at least it has a great view. This place is a dump, literally. I mean, it’s cool if you like dumpster diving, I won’t judge, but at least let me know, I could have brought a bag, or something.”

Chloe was mindlessly talking while looking at the ground, trying to avoid random pieces of junk that were left everywhere, narrowly missing the wooden door jutting out from a pile of junk on her right.

It was only when she looked up did she realize she was all alone.

“Rachel? Um… Rachel?!” Chloe shouted, “Rachel, where are you?”

Chloe could feel her nervousness slowly turning to panic.

“Rachel Amber! This is not how I envision our first date to be!”

Chloe looked around anxiously. Even though it was daytime, the junkyard still looked really creepy.

“Rachel! This is not funny! I’m leaving! I’m calling an uber right n--”

“BOOOO!!”

“WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!”

Chloe screamed and literally jumped.

Rachel had sprung out of nowhere and had successfully scared the living daylight out of Chloe.

Chloe glared at Rachel in disbelief as Rachel laughed hysterically.

“Jesus Christ! What the fuck, Rachel? You gave me a heart attack! Are you seriously trying to kill me?” Chloe gave Rachel a slap on her shoulder, but that just fueled Rachel’s laughter even more.

“What are you? Eight? Did you bring me here just so you can scare the crap out of me?”

“Hahaha! So- Haha, sorry Chloe,” Rachel tried her best to catch her breath from all the laughing, “You look like you are scared shitless just being in this place that I can’t help pulling a prank on you.”

Chloe huffed angrily at Rachel and pursed her lips.

“Come on, it’s just a joke.”

Rachel tried to hold Chloe’s hand but Chloe shrugged her off.

“I’m sorry, Chloe. Don’t be angry with me.”

Rachel once again tried to hold Chloe’s hand but Chloe chose to cross her hands over her chest and sulked.

The next moment happened so fast, Chloe didn't even have time to react. All she felt was a pair of soft lips pressing onto hers, and the scent of rose, vanilla and definitely sandalwood, all swirled into one, confusing her senses.

And as fast as it happened, it was over, leaving Chloe dazed and wondering if that really happened.

Rachel cupped her hands on Chloe’s face as she looked into her eyes. “Will you accept my apology now?”

Chloe just gaped at Rachel stupidly.

She was not exactly in the right mind to reply. The kiss was intoxicating and she could feel her legs going weak.

Getting no response from Chloe, Rachel leaned in again. This time, her kiss was slow, her lips lingered a little longer on Chloe’s lips, as if asking permission to continue. Chloe finally responded, returning the kiss eagerly, sliding her hands onto Rachel’s neck and into her blonde hair, grasping a little tightly, pushing her forward to deepen the kiss.

Rachel’s breath felt so warm on her face. Her heart was racing as she savored the taste of Rachel’s lips. She could taste vanilla and for a moment, Chloe regretted not putting on her peach flavored chapstick that Max had gotten her. Her lips must be chapped and rough. Rachel did not seem to mind though, parting her lips slightly to nibble on Chloe’s lower lip, drawing a soft moan from Chloe.

Chloe could feel Rachel’s smirk against her lips. Rachel must be delighted to be able to draw such a sensual sound from her. Not that Chloe cared. She was too occupied by the warm, soft tongue that had slipped past her lips and was now exploring hungrily in her mouth.

Rachel was like a drug and Chloe was addicted.

Addicted to the way her lips moved and teased her lips.

Addicted to the way her tongue explored and savored her tongue.

Addicted to the way Rachel would nibble and bite and pull back to breathe and dived back in again.

It was deep, it was wet, it was starving.

When their lips finally broke away, Chloe had to keep her eyes closed to steady her breath, just a little longer, to relish in that moment, feeling the electricity crackling in the air.

When she opened her eyes, she found Rachel looking intently into her eyes, hazel eyes shone like sunlight, igniting such a glow it dazzled Chloe with passion and warmth. Chloe’s heart was still pounding in her chest, and she found herself sinking deeper into this emotion that she had never felt before, not even when she was with Max.

“I guess this means you accept my apology.” Rachel giggled as she licked her lips, making Chloe blushed. How could she even stay angry at Rachel when she just gave her the most breathtaking kiss of her life?

“Well, I guess you did redeem yourself. But can you tell me now why are we at the junkyard? I can’t believe we had our first date and first kiss in a junkyard.”

“What can I say? I love to make an impression.” Rachel said as she reached out to hold Chloe’s hand in hers, intertwining their fingers. “This place is American Rust. It’s my home away from hell. I often come here when I want to be alone.”

“So… Do you want to be alone now?”

“What do you think, Chloe Price? Do you think I will bring you here if I want to be alone now? I just wanted to share this place with you. Not everyone can appreciate beauty in the old and abandoned.”

They walked past a few rusty cars and a smashed up truck. Chloe unconsciously winced and Rachel pulled her closer, wrapping her arms around Chloe.

They stopped when they reached a small shack in the middle of the junkyard.

“Welcome to my hideout. The haven in the junkyard.”

Chloe stepped into the little shack. From the outside, this beat-up place looked run-down and dilapidated, but it was a totally different world inside. There was a huge tapestry with an elephant woven on it hanging on one of the walls, posters, and graffiti could be found on the other walls; there is a makeshift table made of wooden plank and concrete block, a car seat that served as a lounge chair, a nice window facing the forest to give this concrete shack some natural daylight. There was even a dartboard on the wall.

Chloe just gawked in awe. This was a really nice, cozy place to hang out, a huge contrast to the messy junkyard.

“So, how do you find this place?”

“Wow… it’s amazing.”

“I know right? When I first discovered this place, it was just a shabby, old shack, filled with trash. Took me a while to clear the trash out, clean up and decorate this place.” Rachel said proudly.

Rachel pulled a wooden chair and placed it next to the car seat lounge chair, motioning Chloe to take a seat.

“You should be honored. You are the first person I ever brought to my hideout.”

“I’m very honored.” Chloe brushed her hair out of her eyes, “But why? We only met today.”

“I don’t know. I just feel a kind of affinity with you. Maybe it’s fate.” Rachel replied with a chuckle. “I have been wanting to ask you, why are you looking for something with no strings attached? Are you a player?”

Chloe laughed and shook her head.

“No! No, I’m not. Far from it, actually. I’d two relationships previously, but I broke both of their hearts. I mean, I just don’t feel much towards them. Maybe I’m just not cut out for a committed relationship. Victoria said I just need to get laid to feel something”

Chloe looked away from Rachel and stared at the elephant on the tapestry, feeling a little embarrassed.

“As absurd as it sounds, I actually want to take up on her advice and try it out, you know, have a fling without any commitment, have some fun.”

“Ha! Seriously? You are taking advice from Victoria Chase? Are you sure you are not one of her Vortex Club lackeys?” Rachel gave Chloe a bemused look.

“Of course not! Don’t insult me. I’d rather die than be her lackey. It’s just that… I think maybe sleeping with someone else could also help me forget about Max. It’s dumb I know…”

“Oh, Chloe…” Rachel reached out to hold Chloe’s hand, gently stroking the back of her hand with her thumb. “It’s not dumb at all. But didn’t you sleep with your two exes?”

Chloe shook her head. “I just… I don’t know. I just feel it wasn’t right to sleep with them. Maybe because I like Max, and subconsciously, it feels like I’m betraying her if I sleep with someone else? But it doesn’t matter anymore. She has someone now.” Chloe’s voice trails off as she looked down on the ground.

All of a sudden, she felt Rachel’s hands stroking her face, wiping something wet from her cheeks.

Tears were streaming out of Chloe’s eyes without her even realizing it.

“I’m sorry. This is so pathetic. I am usually able to hold all these emotions in. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today.” Chloe sniffled as she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.

Without saying a word, Rachel cupped her face and closed the distance between them, kissing away her tears on her cheeks with soft, light pecks, slowly moving down to her lips.

Unlike the first time, this kiss was tender and comforting. Chloe felt warmth spread from her cheeks to her neck down to her core. She sunk into Rachel’s embrace.

Emotions began to fill Chloe’s chest and threatened to overflow.

Gentle and warm. Safe and sound.

Why was Rachel able to make her feel so safe and comfortable?

But then Rachel pulled away from the kiss and grinned at Chloe, giving her a predatory look.

“You've me now. I'll make sure you forget your pain about Max.”

Rachel ran her fingers down Chloe’s neck, lightly brushing her collarbone, then leaning in again to give it a light nibble, gently sucking the soft skin.

Chloe felt a shiver went down her spine and her insides turned molten. She swallowed hard. Her throat was so dry, it felt like sandpaper.

Rachel’s lips made her way down Chloe’s chest. Her hand slide into Chloe’s Firewalk T-shirt and slowly moved up to cup Chloe’s breast, drawing a sharp gasp from her.

“Wa- wait…stop.” Chloe protested weakly.

Rachel obeyed, stopping her exploration of Chloe’s body and looked up at Chloe curiously.

“I- I am really enjoying this, b- but I don't want to have my cherry popped in a junkyard.” Chloe’s face flushed red as she glanced at Rachel shyly.

Rachel looked at Chloe, astonished.

“Wait a minute. You're still a virgin?”

Chloe nodded slowly, feeling a little embarrassed. After all, most girls her age had already had some experience. Even Max the dork had more experience than her.

“Oh. Oh wow. Okay.” Rachel took some time to digest this information before she spoke again. “You're right. Shouldn't have your first time in a junkyard. I'll probably need to prepare a bed full of rose petals for your first time.” Rachel giggled as Chloe shoved her playfully.

Just then, her phone buzzed. It was Max doing her hourly check on Chloe.

**_First Mate Max:_ ** _U ok? Y r u at the junkyard? Did she do anything funny?_

**_Chloe_ ** _: I’m fine. TTYL, bz here ;)_

Chloe hastily stuffed her phone back into her pocket while Rachel watched on.

“I guess we have much to do if you want to get over your BFF,” Rachel smirked.

Chloe sighed. Max had been part of her life since she was five. To her, Max was not just a crush. She was family. How do you move on from your family?

“Enough about me. So what's your story? Why’s this place your home away from hell?” Chloe asked.

Rachel looked away, her voice turned soft. “Ain’t you hella curious.”

“Damn right I am! I told you so much about myself, it’s time you returned the favor. And, _hella_? Who the hell says hella?”

Rachel actually scoffed.

“It’s a Cali thing, Chloe. You need to get out more. So there, now you know I was from California.”

“Hmm… A Cali girl. What’s a Cali girl doing in a shithole like Arcadia Bay?”

“That you gotta ask my dad. He has shitty taste.”

“So why is the DA’s daughter so unhappy, she’s gotta make the junkyard her haven? You obviously can get whatever you want.”

Rachel sighed with exasperation, giving Chloe a look like she had just asked something stupid. “Money can’t buy you happiness, Chloe. If you have to ask that question, you obviously don’t have much to worry about. Bet you must be some kind of daddy’s girl too.”

“Okay, detective,” Chloe raised her hands up in the air as she huffed out. “Don’t have to be that defensive.”

Rachel’s face softened. “Sorry, Chloe. Don’t mean to be snappy. I just don’t like talking about my family, that’s all.”

Chloe pursed her lips, but nodded slowly. “Alright. Fair enough. So what are you looking for on Fridae?”

“Whatever you’re looking for, Chloe. That’s why I think we are quite the match.” Rachel looked at Chloe with a twinkle in her eye, her cheeky look returned to her face. “I’m not looking for anything serious. Relationships are quite a drag, especially with girls, you know. They can be really clingy.”

Chloe actually felt her heart sank with disappointment when she heard that, much to her own surprise.

“So you’re the wild and carefree type, free spirited kinda girl, huh?” Chloe managed to push that out despite that sense of disappointment eating into her.

“Yup, thus my profile name, Freespirited. There’s no need to complicate things with emotions.” Rachel brushed her hand through her blonde hair. The light from the window was shining onto the crown of her head, giving the illusion of a halo above her head. Chloe looked at her, enthralled. She looked like an angel. Chloe secretly wondered if she could ever be her angel.

“So you’re the ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am’ type?” Chloe asked cautiously, secretly hoping she would say no.

“Nah, I'm not looking for one night stand.” Rachel shook her head for emphasis, to Chloe’s relief and delight. “Unless the sex is bad, of course. Then I would totally ghost that person.”  

“Hahaha, I hope I don't suck on my first try then.” Chloe chuckled.

“With my guidance, it’ll be hella awesome.” Rachel nudged Chloe teasingly and Chloe’s cheeks turned pink. Rachel was the only person that could make Chloe blushed like a little girl, and they had only just met today. Yet, Rachel was also able to make her feel so comfortable, they could just sit in silence and it wouldn’t be awkward. That was something Chloe never expected when she first signed up on Fridae

She was not sure what she expected when she first created her profile on Fridae. She was not sure what she expected when she agreed to meet up with a stranger online. She was not sure what she expected when she met Rachel. Until now, she was still not sure what she expected out of this.

But she knew she enjoyed Rachel’s company. Rachel was carefree, confident and spontaneous. She was everything Max wasn't and yet, that was what made her so alluring. She never knew what to expect when she was with Rachel and there was never a dull moment so far. Rachel had managed to surprise her every minute of their date.

It was _exciting_. It was _breathtaking_. It was _perfect_.

So it was not surprising at all to Chloe when Rachel suggested taking a scenic walk along the train tracks that ran through the junkyard, hand in hand.

Although Chloe and Max used to go hiking in the woods with William, they never once came near the woods at the junkyard. William forbade it and Max thought it was creepy.

But walking down the train track like this, with the forest surrounding them as the golden hue of the evening sun blanketed the land, Chloe felt peaceful. It was nice.

“Have you ever watched the movie, Stand By Me?” Rachel broke the comfortable silence between them.

“Um... I heard of it before. Max loves dorky movies like that, but I've never watched this with her. Isn't it a really old show?”

“It's a classic. Being a theatre student, I've to watch many movies of different genre. This one is a coming of age movie about four boys searching for a dead body. They went to the junkyard and took walks down the train tracks like this one to finally find the dead body they were looking for.”

“Wow. That sounds… morbid.”

“The show ended with us finding out what happened to the four boys when they grew up. Not all have happy endings. One grew up to be a lawyer but was stabbed to death. Incidentally, the actor playing this character, River Phoenix, died of a drug overdose during the peak of his career. Kinda show that no matter how glamorous one’s life may be, we are all fighting our inner demons. Shit happens, you know.”

Rachel went silent after saying this, looking attentively at the train tracks, deep in thought. Chloe hummed thoughtfully, wondering if what Rachel just shared had anything to do with her family. Shit happened, so Rachel needed a sanctuary away from home, in the junkyard.

Before Chloe had a chance to probe, Rachel continued.

“But it’s a show that really made an impression. Every time I walked along these train tracks, I’ll remember the song of the film.”

Rachel started humming to the tune of Stand By Me, snapping her fingers. Soon enough, she began singing the song.

_When the night has come_

_And the land is dark_

_And the moon is the only light we’ll see_

Chloe gawked at Rachel with mouth gaping.

Blinked and blinked again.

As if being gorgeous and stunningly attractive were not perfect enough, Rachel just had to have the most amazing voice Chloe had ever heard.

Chloe could feel goosebumps forming on her skin. Her heart skipped a beat as she bit down on her lip, trying to calm her pounding heart.

_No, I won't be afraid_

_Oh I won't be afraid_

_Just as long as you stand, stand by me_

As Rachel sang the line _‘just as long as you stand, stand by me’_ , she took Chloe’s hand and intertwine their fingers, while giving Chloe the most tender smile anyone has ever given her.

By now, Chloe’s heart was pounding so hard, she thought she was going to faint.

Rachel was just so beautiful and she sang like an angel. Chloe once again wondered if she could ever be her angel.

_So darlin', darlin' stand by me_

_Oh stand by me_

_Oh stand, stand by me, stand by me_

But in this moment, with Rachel looking so gently at Chloe, her hands drawing mindlessly on Chloe’s hand, stroking it so delicately, Chloe decided that it did not matter if Rachel could never be her angel.

Because in this moment, Rachel belonged to her.

And that’s enough.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I made Rachel a biker girl! Think a sporty red Gilera runner would suit Rachel. She would look pretty hot on it. ;)
> 
> Updates will be slow because I don't write as fast as I wish I can. Furthermore, there are too many distractions this festive season (BtS ep 3 is coming out and I just bought AC Origins). I'll target to update the next chapter in 2-3 weeks time.


	3. Are They Ready For Her?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe was happy with her date with Rachel, but not everyone was thrilled with them meeting up.

Chloe strolled into the dormitory with a skip in her step, humming to the tune of Stand By Me. She was on Cloud Nine and nothing could dampen her mood today.

“Chloe Price!”

But of course, no one could dampen her mood except the Queen of Killjoy.

Chloe turned to see Victoria Chase stomping down the corridor towards her, with Max struggling to keep up behind. It was quite a hilarious sight, really. Victoria with her long legs and her big strides, and Max running after her, playing catch-up as much as her tiny, cute legs could.

“Price! Why didn’t you tell me you are meeting with Rachel Amber?” Victoria barked.

“Good evening to you too, _Vicky_.”

Victoria flinched. “Don’t ever call me that, Price!”

“Why not? You called me by my last name with no regards to if I liked it or not, Vicky.” Chloe smirked as she puffed her chest out, rising to her full height as she faced off Victoria.

Victoria was tall, but luckily for Chloe, she was taller.

“Goddammit, Price. Did Rachel Amber tell you to call me that? Knew she’s still a bitch after all these time.”

“Easy, Vicky. She never tells me anything. I just thought it’s a great nickname for you. After all, it rhymes with Icky.” Chloe was on fire and she was not going to back down. “And no one can be a bigger bitch than you. After all, you’re the Queen Bitch of Blackwell.”

“Chloe!” Max intervened, standing between them, puffing. She looked at Chloe in disbelief. Chloe still had her shit eating grin on her face.

Max turned to look at her girlfriend. Blue veins were popping from Victoria’s neck and her nostrils were flaring, like she was about to breath fire.

“Chloe, how could you say that?” Max looked at Chloe with furrowed brows.

“Why can’t I? You were always calling her Queen Bitch before she was eating you out.”

“Jesus, Chlo! What’s wrong with you today?” Max exclaimed in bewilderment.

“Nothing’s wrong with me. Bitchtoria asked for a fight and I gave it to her.” Chloe looked away from Max, feeling a little guilty, but she was not going to back down.

Not today, not anymore.

“Don’t start a fight you ain’t prepared to lose, Vicky. Not everyone is a pushover. Rachel isn’t, neither am I.”

Chloe stormed off into her room, leaving Max speechless. Chloe was never this nasty to Max. They had gotten into arguments before, but ultimately Chloe would always let Max win.

Max knew Chloe disliked her girlfriend, but she had always been cordial and tolerant towards her, for Max’s sake.

So what happened?

What changed?

“Told you Rachel is not a good influence,” Victoria said angrily. “Just one date and she has Chloe eating out of her hands.”

“That’s because you provoked her, V.” Max groaned out in exasperation. “I told you to calm down when you meet her but you just have to go full Queen Bee on her.”

Victoria was close to flaring up, but she bit her tongue. Chloe had already done enough damage to Max, she couldn’t bear to hurt Max further.

“Alright, alright. I’m sorry. I should have let you take the lead.”

“No, V. We shouldn’t have even question her in the first place. Who Chlo meet or date is not our business. As her friends, we should have been supportive.” Max shook her head as she massaged her temple with her thumb. She was never good with confrontation and it was giving her a headache.

“How could you say that, Max? She’s your best friend! Do you want her to get hurt by dating a mega bitch?” It was Victoria’s turn to feel exasperated. She could be a bitch, but she knew she would never let her friends get hurt by dating the wrong person.

“Chlo thinks you’re a mega bitch too when she knew we were dating and she was supportive! Why can’t you give her the same space and respect?”

Victoria swallowed hard. She could feel her patience wearing thin.

Somewhere on the left, she heard a dorm door opening to check out the commotion they created. She snapped her head towards that direction and growled at whoever the nosy person was.

“Shut the door, it’s none of your fucking business!”

The person yelped in fear and the door was closed immediately.

This was not the place to discuss this. As much as Victoria loved Max, she also loved her reputation in Blackwell.

She reached out to hold Max’s hand and pulled her towards the exit.

“Where are we going?” Max puffed out while trying to catch up to Victoria’s strides.

“To Two Whales. I’m getting you your favorite sundae to cool off.”

“But you hated that place.”

“What choice do I have? My darling is upset with me and I gotta get her favorite food before she goes full Godzilla on me.”

“Hey! I don’t do that!” Max pouted.

“Oh, trust me, you do.”

“You do know Chloe’s mom works in Two Whales, right? She will surely tell Chloe we are there.”

“That’s great. We can help contribute to Chloe’s household income. Treat it as charity for that poor girl.” Victoria sniggered.

“Tori!”

 

 

“Max, sweetie! So nice of you to drop by. Where’s Chloe?” a familiar Southern drawl greeted them as they opened the door of Two Whales.

“Hi, Joyce! Chloe’s out the whole day so she’s back in the dorm. I’m here with Victoria. You remember her, don’t you?” Max replied cheerfully.

Max was always happy to see Joyce. She was like a second mother to Max, taking great care of her whenever Max came to find Chloe at their house.

“Of course I remember! I never forget a pretty face when I see one. Welcome to Two Whales, Victoria.”

“Thank you, Mrs Price.” Victoria gave Joyce a sweet smile.

Victoria always knew how to make a good impression.

Unlike Chloe, who didn’t give a shit what people thought of her, a Chase always needed to be at her best, even at a greasy diner like Two Whales.

“Just call me Joyce. Come, girls, take a seat.”

Victoria ordered Max the largest sundae from the menu, and orange juice for herself after they were seated.

Max was contemplating if she should have a bacon omelet for supper because she was badass like that, when she felt the continuous vibration coming from her phone.

She took out her phone to see eight new messages from Chloe.

 **_Cap’n Chlo:_ ** _Bat Max...I’m sorrie for being a biatch_

 **_Cap’n Chlo:_ ** _but ur gf is such a biatch 2._

 **_Cap’n Chlo:_ ** _u gotta put her on a leash. Mayb get a muzzle 4 her. LOL! Jk jk_

 **_Cap’n Chlo:_ ** _just wanted to tell u how wonderful rachel is. I wish u can meet her._

 **_Cap’n Chlo:_ ** _she’s super beautiful n she even got a freakin gr8 voice!_

 **_Cap’n Chlo:_ ** _we took a walk along the train tracks n she start singing. She sings like an angel!_

 **_Cap’n Chlo:_ ** _mom told me u r at 2 whales now. Look, lets tok more when u r bk. Ive so much to tell u_

 **_Cap’n Chlo:_ ** _tis time, come alone n leave ur bitch behind._

Max sighed and put her phone back on the table.

“So did she apologize for being an asshole?” Victoria threw Max a knowing look.

“She did. You know what, V?” Max contemplated. What could she do to get them to exist in harmony?

“Chloe and you are very much alike. Both quick-tempered and blunt. But I know deep down, both of you care a lot for your friends.”

Victoria cringed. “Ew, Max, I love you, but please don’t compare me with that idiot BFF of yours.”

“Tori… what exactly is the deal with you and Rachel? Why do you hate her so much?”

Victoria frowned and started crossing her arms. Max reached over and clasped her hand before she could complete the act.

Victoria looked up at her with her classic frown.

Max gave her an impish smile.

She knew Victoria liked to cross her arms as a defensive move. Once she crossed her arms, it would be hard to break down that wall of hers. She needed to tear down the bricks before she even put it up.

“Baby… you know you can tell me anything, right?” Max gave Victoria her sweetest smile while gently stroking her hand, just the way Victoria liked it.

Victoria sighed blissfully.

The walls came down. The defense melted.

Instantly.

Victoria turned to look into Max’s sky-blue eyes for reassurance. She felt herself relaxing, a sense of peace engulfed her as she lost herself in the pair of cloudless skies.

She knew Max was never going to use this against her.

Max was not Rachel.

Victoria felt safe.

“Remember I told you about a fling I had in high school with someone from the Vortex Club?”

Max nodded. Victoria had always been opened about her past. Honesty was what their relationship was built on.

“It’s with Rachel Amber. Hooked up with her a few times during the parties. Nothing serious. Thing is, Rachel has a way of making people feel really special, even if it’s just a no strings attached thing.”

Victoria held onto Max’s hand, squeezing it slightly.

“I hate to admit this, but even I was captivated by her charm. So when she suggested that I linked her up with some photographers who worked with the Chase Space, I stupidly agreed. She claimed it’s for some school project, but in honest truth, she was just looking for opportunities to kick-start her modeling career. She’s shrewd, I’d give her that.”

Victoria gritted her teeth as she said that.

“But I admire her for it. Not many girls know how to manipulate people to get what they want. She did it so flawlessly, I did not even feel like I was being used until it was too late. And I was so fucking naive, I even begged my dad for help to get the contact. You know how much I hate asking favors from them.”

Max started stroking Victoria’s hand, trying to ease her tension away.

“Why did you help her, V? It’s unlike you to ask for favors from your parents.”

Victoria looked away, couldn’t bear to look at Max.

“I’m stupid, okay. I thought if I helped her, we could be more… more than just friends. In the end, I’m just stupid, stupid, stu -”

Max wrapped her girlfriend into an embrace before she could finish berating herself.

It’s enough.

Victoria could be a bitch towards other people but Max knew it was all a façade to hide her sense of insecurity and worthlessness she had felt her entire life.

Being a Chase meant enduring nights after nights of lonely dinners with servants and butlers.

Going for lessons after lessons to polish up skills expected of a lady.

Celebrating festivals after festivals with strangers she did not know, but expected to bootlick them all the same.

Trying, again and again, to earn the recognition of her father but being disappointed again and again.

It's enough.

“You're not stupid, Tori. You are smart and kind and amazing. That's why you went out of your way to help her.”

Max knew Victoria would do anything to gain validation from the people she liked.

Max knew because Victoria showered her with gifts and love and attention, always giving in to her whims and fancies.

Like taking Max for comfort food at a greasy diner that Victoria would never step foot in, eating sundaes and bacon omelet for supper even though she was on a diet.

Or watching Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within for the thirteenth time even though Victoria hated that movie.

Victoria would never say no to Max.

So Max knew why Victoria could not say no to Rachel.

Even though she did feel a tinge of jealousy towards this girl she had never met, who had now gained the fancy of her best friend.

What was her charm exactly?

Why was the two closest person in her life so smittened by her?

“So what happened? How did you fall out with her?”

Victoria took a deep breath. “I stupidly introduced her to _the_ Mark Jefferson…”

“Mark Jefferson? The famous photographer from LA? The photography lecturer we were supposed to have at Blackwell?” Max’s eyes widened in surprise as her words rolled out.

“The lecturer we were supposed to have before that pedophile was arrested for drugging and taking hundreds of sick photos of underage girls. Yes, that Mark Jefferson.” Victoria huffed out.

She had always admired Jefferson for his photography. There was always something dark and mysterious and edgy about his works that were so captivating and enchanting. Now she finally knew why.

“It's a pity. I'd always admire his work. It's dark and edgy but somehow captivating. I actually came to Blackwell because of him. Too bad he's a sicko.” Max said as she stretched herself out on the diner booth.

Victoria smiled endearingly at her girlfriend.

She knew there had been gossips about them when they first got together. Many questioned how two polar opposites could find common ground in a relationship that many people thought were bound to fail. Some even suspected that Max was with her for her money.

What many people didn't know was just how much alike Max and Victoria were. How they fit like two pieces of a puzzle that were meant to go together.

Like soulmates.

“Me too. I even had a little crush on him!” Victoria scoffed at that idea now. “I never had the balls to approach him though. But Rachel? She knew how to work her charms. She actually hooked up with Jefferson. I felt so betrayed and we fell out. I was no use to her after this anyway.”

“Oh boy. You don’t think Rachel is still with Jefferson, do you?” Max asked after taking a mouthful of her sundae.

“Nah. Rachel won’t want anything to do with him after that creep was arrested. She’s not dumb. But she did lose her ticket to LA.”

Victoria opened her mouth as Max fed her a spoonful of creamy, sugary goodness before continuing.

“I don’t think she will make use of Chloe the way she made use of me. Your friend has nothing to offer her anyway. That said, I don’t think Rachel is someone Chloe will find happiness with. I just hope your friend is really just looking for a fling. Rachel doesn’t do relationships with girls.”

“Then why is she on Fridae?” Max stuck out her tongue to lick her sundae.

Victoria swallowed hard.

“Maybe she’s looking for someone who can help pave her way to stardom.”

Victoria leaned forward to kiss Max, tasting the sweetness from her lips. She pulled away and gave Max a predatory smile.

“Enough talk about other girls. Hurry up and finish your food. I need some night work out after such a heavy supper.”

Victoria licked her lips with a twinkle in her eye.

Max blushed.

It was going to be a good night.

 

 

Chloe tossed and turned in bed.

She could not stop thinking of Rachel. How can someone she just met be on her mind so much?

Just then, her phone chirped and the screen lighted up.

It was Rachel.

 **_Rachel_ ** : _Hey babe, u aslp? U wanna to meet tmr?_

Chloe’s heart fluttered. She replied immediately

 **_Chloe_ ** : _Of cos! Where r we gg?_

 **_Rachel_ ** _: it’s a secret! ;) I’ll pick u up at where we meet today. U hv anymore firewalk t-shirt?_

 **_Chloe_ ** : _I hv 1 more. Y? Wat r we doing?_

 **_Rachel_ ** : _Wear it. Its cute :p I’ll c u tmr at 8pm._

 **_Chloe_ ** : _late nite adventure? I like it! I’ll c u tmr_

 **_Rachel_ ** : _Great! <3 _

Chloe looked at Rachel’s heart emoticon and her own heart raced.

Should she speak her mind now?

Chloe typed her last message to Rachel, backspaced it, typed it again and hesitated.

Should she send it or not?

_What the hell, Chloe Price? Grow a pair!_

Chloe clicked ‘Send’.

 **_Chloe_ ** : _Miss u_

And she waited.

It was an agonizing one minute. Rachel saw the message but did not reply.

Another minute passed. Chloe felt dejected and was about to go to bed.

Her phone chirped.

Rachel replied with a kissy face emoticon.

What did that even mean?

Rachel was such a mystery.

A mystery Chloe would love to unfold.

Chloe knew she would have more of that opportunity tomorrow.

For now, she would just have to be contented that she met the most intriguing girl she had ever met in her life.

A girl who could finally make her heart skip a beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Maximum Victory in this chapter and a little backstory between Victoria and Rachel.  
> I always imagine Victoria and Rachel has this love/hate relationship going on in school. I think they hooked up before and Rachel might even be Victoria's first gay crush.  
> Maybe one day, this story can be expanded.
> 
> Next chapter, an epic Amberprice date!


	4. Are We Ready For Us?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel has a surprise for Chloe.  
> Chloe's life will never be the same again.

“Hey hottie, you waiting for someone?”

Chloe turned to see Rachel in a sedan with her window wound down, giving her the most charming smile any girl had ever given her.

Rachel had full make-up on and her hair was tied up which defined her high cheek bones even more. The smoky eye shadow around her eyes made her cat-liked hazel eyes sparkle in the dark. Her blue feather earring jiggled as she shook her head to the side to signal for Chloe to get in.

Damn! Rachel was too fucking hot. Chloe could feel her throat getting dry and her heart pounding with exhilaration.

“Wh-what happened to your humble steed?”

Chloe tried not to stare too much as she got into Rachel’s car.

“It's at home. I just feel like driving today.” Rachel stepped on the accelerator and went full speed ahead.

She was still a speed monster even on four wheels.

“So where are we going?”

“You'll see.”

“Ha. You're hella mysterious, aren't you? I realized that happened a lot on our dates.” Chloe smiled.

“What's life without a little spontaneous adventure?” Rachel gave Chloe a wink. “And did you just say hella? See, I’m a good bad influence on you.” Rachel reached over to give Chloe’s hand little a squeeze and Chloe’s heart leaped in her chest.

Chloe drew in a shaky breath and took a good look at Rachel. Black leather jacket with a black leather choker, black leather fingerless gloves and a leather belt with metal studs.

Rachel was a goddamn punk rocker tonight. Just as Chloe thought it would not be possible to have a bigger crush on Rachel, she went to set the bar to a whole new level again.

Chloe adored her punk chick looks. She had always loved the punk look and had always wanted to try that look herself.

She looked down at her outfit. Red Firewalk t-shirt with blue jeans and black studded bracelet. It's not bad but definitely not punk enough to match up to Rachel’s looks. Feeling conscious of how underdressed she was, Chloe crossed her hands over her chest, eyes darting nervously at the scenery outside the window.

As if reading her mind, Rachel pointed to the back seat of the car. “I brought an extra jacket you can use. It's slightly bigger in size so I'm sure you can wear it.”

“How did you know…?”

“Cos I know you'll probably be underdressed for the place we’re going and I'm always prepared.”

Chloe’s grin widened as she reached towards the back seat to find a black leather jacket. Just as she was retrieving the jacket, she noticed the back seat was covered with a colorful beach towel that was a total mismatch to the interior of the sedan.

“Why do you have such an odd looking beach towel at the back?

“Still as curious as ever aren't you? You'll find out later, Chloe.”

“And you're still as mysterious as ever, Rachel.” Chloe gave her a cheeky smile as she put on the leather jacket that Rachel had prepared for her.

“How do I look?”

Rachel gave Chloe a side glance and whistled.

“You look…”

“Badass?”

“I was gonna say hot, but yeah, badass too.” Rachel gave Chloe a wink.

Chloe felt her face burning up at Rachel’s compliment.

Rachel thought she looked _hot_. No one ever thought she was hot. Not even Mad Max.

Max had only ever called her cool Chloe. She was always the cool captain Bluebeard.

But Rachel thought she looked hot. That was new and she couldn't stop the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

Chloe held Rachel’s free hand and gave it a kiss.

“You're hella hot today too.” Chloe beamed with happiness.

They sat in comfortable silence after this, hand in hand. Music was blasting out of the car’s stereo and they were all Firewalk's songs. Chloe bobbed up and down in her seat, swaying to the beat of the music.

The car raced past the shopping district and residential suburb of Arcadia Bay, into the woods. Soon, darkness engulfed them and the only lights illuminating the roads were the headlights of their car. This would have freaked Chloe out if she was with anyone else in the car.  

But she was with Rachel so it was fine.

She felt safe.

The car came to a screeching halt at an empty grassland beside the train tracks.

Rachel off the engine and got out of the car.

“Where are we?” Chloe stepped out and looked around. There was nothing except tall grass and the train track.

“We need to walk a bit from here,” Rachel replied as she held out her hand. “You trust me?”

Chloe looked at Rachel’s outstretched hand and smiled.

She took her hand.

“I trust you.”

They walked down the train tracks with Rachel humming. Chloe recognized it to be Dream a Little Dream of Me. She closed her eyes and focused on Rachel’s voice.

Exquisite. Ethereal. Divine.

The voice of an angel.

An occasional breeze pulled Chloe out of her thoughts. She shivered and pulled Rachel’s jacket closer to her.

It smelt of vanilla, rose and a tinge of sandalwood.

The scent of Rachel.

They reached a small pathway on the side and got off the tracks, following the path to a fence that read “No Trespassing. Private Property”.

Chloe turned her attention towards Rachel, confused that Rachel had brought her to a dead end. Rachel gave Chloe a mischievous grin before running towards the fence, vaulting over with ease.

Rachel landed softly with such grace, Chloe wondered if she was even human. With her cat-liked eyes, beautiful face and angelic smile, Chloe wouldn’t be surprised if Rachel was actually an elf.

“You coming?” Rachel motioned for Chloe to follow.

“Yeah, but you gotta gimme a sec. I don’t do parkour.” Chloe looked at Rachel helplessly, still in awe that Rachel was able to vault over a fence with such grace.

“Come on! I’ll catch you.”

Chloe gulped. There’s no going back now.

She carefully placed both her hands on the fence, steadying herself. Taking a deep breath, she leaped and placed her right foot on the fence, before propelling herself forward.

True to her words, Rachel caught hold of Chloe before she could tumble down the fence.

“Looks like you can parkour now.” Rachel giggled, giving a pat on Chloe’s back.

“Thanks to you.” Chloe heaved as she brushed the dirt from the fence off herself.

From a distance, Chloe could hear music blasting. She guessed that would be their destination.

Where the hell was this place? It's the middle of nowhere. How on earth did Rachel find this place?

Before Chloe could ask, Rachel’s pace quickened towards the source of the music, excitement twinkling in her eyes.

“Hurry up, Chloe! You don't wanna be late for this.”

Chloe ran towards Rachel as fast as her heavy army boots allowed. Rachel stretched out her arm and wrapped it around Chloe when she caught up, giving her a peck on her face before giggling as they both ran forward.

The music got louder and louder and a dilapidated looking mill slowly came into view.

Rachel really liked to bring Chloe to rundown places. First the shack in the junkyard, now this.

She could see colorful flashing lights coming out from the mill. Seemed like this abandoned mill had been remodeled into a club. The closer she was, the louder the music became and she could feel the vibrations from the heavy base. She recognized the song immediately. It was a Firewalk song.

“Oh my goodness, Rachel! Is this what I think this is?” Chloe stared at Rachel in amazement.

Rachel gave Chloe’s shoulders a squeeze. “It’s better than what you think it is.”

They soon reached the entrance of the mill. There were many motorcycles parked outside. A few punk-looking men were standing around, drinking and smoking.

A heavily tattooed guy with biceps larger than Chloe’s waist was standing guard at the entrance, checking party-goers for their tickets.

“Hi, Thunder!” Rachel went up to the scary looking bouncer to give him a hug.

“Hey Rachie. Nice to see you here.” The guy called Thunder returned her hug, looking really pleased to see her. “You going in?”

“Of course! I wouldn't miss this performance for anything. I've my friend with me today, can she go in with me please?”

Thunder furrowed his brows. “Damon won’t be pleased if I let a stranger in without paying.”

“Come on, do it for me please?” Rachel reached out to hold Thunder’s hand in hers, flashing him her signature, seductive smile.

Behind Rachel, Chloe shifted her weight between her legs uncomfortably, reaching into her pocket to fish out some money. Rachel shot her a look which made her stop.

“Thunder.” Rachel said in a sultry voice. “How much business have I given Damon already? Surely he wouldn’t be so petty about this?”

Thunder looked at Rachel hesitantly.

“Right, you’re probably right. Just this once! And only because it’s you.” He finally replied, looking slightly defeated.

Rachel gave Thunder a hug and a quick peck on his cheek. “Thank you, darling. You’re the best!” And she pulled Chloe into the mill as quickly as she could.

The music blasting was familiar and deafening. Chloe’s favorite band, Firewalk, was playing on the stage but she didn’t feel excited seeing them at all.

There was a strange feeling bubbling inside of her. The kind that made her felt like she got kicked in the gut.

Why would Rachel flirt with him just for that few tens of dollars? It's not an awful lot of money for entrance fees and Chloe could afford it. She rather paid than see Rachel cozied up with the bouncer like earlier.

Rachel seemed to read her mind and gave her an assuring kiss on her lips.

“Why pay when you can get in for free? Thunder just like to make things difficult for newcomers like you. If you give in without a fight, he’ll think you're a pushover. I'm sure Chloe Price ain't a pushover, right?”

Not giving Chloe time to ponder on this any further, Rachel gently pushed Chloe towards the bar.

“Let's get some alcohol in our system before we party, shall me?” Rachel turned towards the bartender to order half a dozen of tequila shots.

Handing a drink to Chloe, Rachel clinked her shot glass with Chloe’s, licked the salt around the rim, down it in one go and proceeded to suck on the wedge of lime. Handed another one to Chloe, she chugged her second shot before picking the third one up.

“Whoa, slow down.” Chloe stopped after her second shot to take a breather. “I don’t want to get drunk before I even get high.”

“Oh, sweet Chloe. How can you get drunk over just two shots?” Rachel chuckled as she picked up the last drink and offered it to Chloe. Chloe waved her hand, signaling for Rachel to have the drink instead.

Rachel’s lips curled up into a seductive smile as she looked into Chloe’s eyes. Chloe could feel her heart racing and her face turning warm. She was not sure if it was the effect the tequila she just took or from the suggestive smile Rachel was giving her right now.

Before she could even anticipate what Rachel was going to do, Rachel rubbed the salt off the rim of the shot glass and dabbed it onto Chloe’s neck.

Chloe squirmed at the ticklish sensation of Rachel’s sudden touch. Not allowing Chloe to fidget away, Rachel leaned over and licked the salt off Chloe’s neck. Surprised, Chloe gasped and bit down on her lips, trying to suppress the moan caught in her throat.

In one motion, Rachel sipped the tequila from her shot glass and pressed her lips onto Chloe’s, slowly pushing her tongue past Chloe’s lips and pouring the tequila into her mouth.

The cold, sharp taste of tequila burnt her tongue a little but Chloe could no longer feel it. At this moment Chloe could only feel the warmth in her chest bursting into flames, engulfing her, threatening to incinerate her into nothingness. The fire in her burnt passionately and she knew she would willingly burn to death if it meant she could be forever in Rachel’s embrace.

Chloe clung onto Rachel to deepen the kiss, moving her lips against Rachel’s lips hungrily, sucking and licking and savoring every last drop of alcohol from Rachel’s mouth.

Rachel broke away from their kiss first, giving Chloe a smug look as she stepped back, watching as Chloe gasped for air, chest heaving.

Rachel held Chloe’s hand in hers, fingers entwining, waiting for Chloe to calm down from her high.

“Ready for the mosh pit, shaka brah?”

Chloe could hardly talk but words were no longer necessary, for Rachel’s firm grip on Chloe’s hand had already spoken a thousand unspoken words between them.

Tugging Chloe along as she squeezed through the crowd, Rachel was once again leading, bringing Chloe into the mosh pit to meet her favorite band.

The music was loud. The crowd was rowdy. Firewalk was awesome. The atmosphere was electrifying. Chloe’s blood was pumping with excitement.

This was Chloe’s first time attending Firewalk’s performance. It was even better than she imagined. People were dancing, people were singing, people were cheering, people were making out.

Rachel was holding onto Chloe’s hand, dancing and twirling around her, grinding up on her and holding her close.

Chloe’s mouth went dry as Rachel grind her perky ass onto her groin, hands reaching back to caress Chloe’s neck. Chloe swallowed hard. Her throat was dry but damn, somewhere else was getting wet.

Chloe was certain this was what heaven looked like, with her favorite punk rock band playing in the background and the most gorgeous date by her side, dirty dancing with her.

This was what it meant to be alive!

Chloe reveled in the moment, basking in Rachel’s presence, soaking in the atmosphere.

The atmosphere of love and life.

Firewalk finished their last set and the stage stopped for an interval to allow the next band to prepare. Pisshead seemed to be playing next, but Chloe couldn’t really be bothered. After moshing like that, she desperately needed some beer in her system.

The girls moved to an empty table and Chloe went to the bar to get more drinks.

When she came back, Rachel was talking to a man in a beanie with a scruffy beard. He reminded Chloe of Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. Shaggy was looking at Rachel with such dreamy eyes that Chloe immediately felt uncomfortable.

“Who's this?” Chloe asked, putting the bottles of beer down onto the table with a loud thud. Shaggy glared at Chloe for interrupting.

“This is my friend, Frank. Frank, meet Chloe.” Rachel put on her classic smile as she introduced them.

“Hey.” Frank Scruffy Beard said to Chloe. Chloe acknowledged it with a nod.

“So, Firewalk is pretty sick, huh?”

“What?”

“Firewalk. The band performing earlier?”

Shaggy shrugged. “I’m not here for the band. I'm here to work.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You tend the bar or something?”

Frank looked at Rachel and gave her a look. “I gotta go. You girls have fun.”

He stuffed a small package into Rachel’s hand and whispered something into her ears - to Chloe’s dismay - and left.

“What was that about?” Chloe asked, looking at Shaggy with a frown.

“Frank is my party favor guy.” Rachel said with a wink. “Let’s move the party outside. I need some fresh air.”

Rachel walked out of the mill with Chloe following, scrambling to carry her bottles of beer with her.

They came to a clearing behind the mill and sat down on a large tree stump, putting the bottles of beer on the ground. Rachel unwrapped the package to reveal a few joints in it. She lit one, took a long drag and passed it to Chloe. Chloe took it from her and hesitated.

“Please don’t tell me you’ve never tried weed before.”

“No, of course not,” Chloe answered.

Rachel raised her eyebrows at her. Realizing her reply was a little misleading, Chloe tried to backpedal.

“No, no… I mean yes! Yes, I have.” To prove her point, Chloe placed the joint onto her lips and took a puff, trying hard not to cough.

Rachel laughed, taking the joint back. “You sure you’ve tried this before?”

“Yeah, of course. I hang out with the skaters and they are a bunch of stoners. I tried it before with them.”

“That’s good. Just want you to loosen up. You can be really tense.” Rachel gave Chloe a knowing look.

“Oh, you mean how I was towards Shaggy? Well, he looks like an awfully shady guy. Just want to make sure he wasn’t trying to hit on you, or something.”

Rachel burst out laughing. “What? Shaggy? Oh, Chloe, that’s such an appropriate nickname for Frank.”

Chloe started giggling. “He looks like a Scruffy too. A scruffy dog.”

Rachel laughed even louder now, causing Chloe to laugh out too.

Damn, this weed was good.

“Frank has a dog actually, called Pompidou.”

Chloe roared out in laughter. “Pompidou?? Shaggy the drug dealer owns a poodle?”

Both of them started to laugh uncontrollably. Rachel tried to explain to Chloe that Pompidou was actually a rescue fight dog but the more she talked about it, the more they laughed about how ridiculous this name was.

Rachel was holding onto her tummy from laughing too hard. Chloe was wiping her tears and trying to catch her breath. This was the most fun Chloe had in months since Max got together with Resident Bitch.

After they had finally stopped their laughing fit, Rachel rested on Chloe’s shoulder, looking up at the starry sky, drinking and passing a bottle of beer between them. They just sat there, enjoying the music coming from the old mill, not saying a word.

"I've always loved stars. They remind us there's so much beauty out there, which we almost never see.” Rachel broke the silence first. She took a sip from the beer bottle and passed it to Chloe.

“Because we’re blinded by what’s in front of us.” Chloe looked at Rachel endearingly.

“Exactly. But then I learned the truth. The stars we're seeing have already been dead for millions of years. They're all... lies."

Chloe could hear Rachel’s voice trembling. She held onto Rachel’s hand and gave it a light squeeze for reassurance. “But that doesn’t make them any less beautiful, right?”

Rachel shrugged. “I don’t know. If they’re not even real, then what’s the point?”

Chloe pondered over it for a moment. “Maybe not everything has to have a point. So what if they’re not real. For people who can't be with their loved ones, isn’t it great to think we all might be wishing on the same bright star?”

Rachel snorted. “Did you seriously just quote the lyrics from, Somewhere Out There?”

“Hahaha, you got me. My point is, as long as these stars served a purpose to whoever is looking at it, who cares if they’re already dead? They still shine bright like diamonds.”

“I just think it’s pathetic to use beautiful lies to cover up the ugly truth.” Rachel uttered with a scowl on her face.

“Well, not everyone can handle the truth.” Chloe looked into Rachel’s eyes, hazel eyes burning with emotions that Chloe had never seen before. It scared her a little.

“Maybe that’s why everyone lies. No exceptions.” Rachel said, looking away from Chloe.

Chloe raised her hand to brush Rachel’s hair behind her ears, fingers tracing down Rachel’s ear lobe to her blue feather earrings, feeling Rachel tremble under her touch.

She smiled.

“That’s not true. I’ll never lie to you.”

For the first time since they met, Chloe initiated a kiss, leaning in to press her lips onto Rachel’s. Rachel returned the kiss gently before nestling her head into the crook of Chloe’s neck. They sat there for a few minutes, just listening to each other’s breathing and the music seeping from the mill, enjoying the warmth of each other’s body.

“You are a good person, Chloe,” Rachel whispered, holding onto Chloe’s hand with fingers intertwining. “I trust you.”

Chloe’s heart pounded heavily in her chest, engulfed in a tidal wave of emotions, threatening to swallow her whole.

But it's okay.

She wanted this.

She _needed_ this.

Even if it left her breathless and gasping for air, she allowed herself to sink even further.

Drowning.

Drowning.

But it's okay.

She closed her eyes to soak it all in.

And in this moment that lasted forever, Chloe wished time would stand still.

She inhaled, taking in all the scent of vanilla, rose and a hint of sandalwood. Taking in all of Rachel. Held it in as long as she could.

Her chest swelled with happiness and bliss.

Yet, there was a tinge of sadness.

And a nagging feeling that Rachel did not belong to her.

Would she ever?

Exhaled.

“How I wish Arcadia Bay can always be this fun and not the dead fishing village that it’s famous for.” Rachel said while playing with Chloe’s fingers in her hands.

Chloe opened her eyes. Snap back to reality.

“I think we should head back.” Chloe finally said.

“You tired?” Rachel straightened up and looked at Chloe with concern.

That made Chloe happier and sadder all at the same time. It was confusing.

“I think the combination of weed and beer is making me sleepy.”

Rachel leaned over to give Chloe a peck on her cheek.

“Alright, m’lady. Let’s go back then.”

They each took a bottle of beer and walked towards the train tracks.

The moon was their only companion, illuminating their path on the tracks.

Chloe stepped onto the rail, stretches her arms at her sides for balance, trying not to sway. Rachel grabbed her hand and steadied her.

_I’ll never let you fall_

Her eyes seemed to say.

But Chloe wished she would let her.

And when she did, she wished Rachel would catch her.

The emotions she was feeling became too much, and Chloe had to look away.

And up at the sky.

The moon glowed and the stars twinkled.

They were beautiful, these terrible, lying, _dead_ stars were truly beautiful.

“Maybe I was wrong before,” Rachel broke the silence. “Who cares if the stars are dead? As long as we can see them, that means they are real to us, right?”

Chloe smiled.

Perhaps their relationship was very much like the stars.

It was real to Chloe.

Hand in hand, a bottle in another, laughing, drinking, having a great time together.

This was real.

Maybe this was enough.

They soon reached Rachel’s car. Rachel turned to look at Chloe, giving her an impish smile.

Chloe looked at Rachel with raised brows, giving her a questioning look.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“Remember you asked about the beach towel covering the back seat? Go ahead, remove it.”

Chloe looked at Rachel suspiciously. She knew the girl had a knack for giving surprises, and not all the surprises were pleasant, her mind wandering back to the scare in the junkyard. What could this be about?

Chloe opened the car door and carefully removed the colorful beach towel.

And just stare at the sight before her.

Rose petals were found all over the car seat. Red, pink, yellow… and even blue.

“What is this about?” Chloe asked, already knowing the answer.

Her heart was pounding, she could feel her legs going weak and her breath hitches. She looked at Rachel, feeling herself getting lost in those hazel eyes, emotions swelling in her chest, threatening to consume her.

But she was ready.   

And Rachel knew.

Without saying a word, Rachel stepped forward and pulled her into an embrace, nibbling on her ear while whispering, “You wanted rose petals for your first night, so your wish is my command.”

Rachel’s words sent shots of sparks into her head, she could feel shivers running through her body, right down to her core.

This was really happening. With the girl she had come to fall in love with.

Chloe panicked at that thought, but it was soon left behind as Rachel moved in again to kiss her.

She closed her eyes and kissed Rachel back, their lips dancing a slow, sensuous dance. Rachel reached out to grab Chloe’s strawberry blonde hair, tugging it as she deepened the kiss, causing Chloe to moan into her lips.

Fueled by Chloe’s reaction, Rachel pushed and pinned her to the car, drawing a surprised gasp from Chloe. Rachel took the opportunity to slip her tongue between Chloe’s lips, sucking and flicking her tongue playfully.

Her hands began to explore Chloe’s body hungrily, one hand sliding into Chloe’s Firewalk T-shirt and moving up to cup her breast as the other hand reached in from behind to unhook Chloe’s bra clip in one swift motion.

Chloe was overwhelmed. She knew Rachel was experienced but she did not expect Rachel to be _that_ experienced. Rachel was dominating and in control and playing Chloe like a fiddle.

And Chloe loved it.

Her nerves were tingling, her body was trembling and she could feel her insides turned molten as Rachel stroke teasingly on her nipples.

Her breath got heavier, grinding herself onto Rachel’s hips without meaning to.

Rachel smiled seductively at Chloe, before diving into the nape of her neck, licking and sucking on her soft skin, determined to leave her marks of passion on Chloe. Chloe squirmed and shuddered from the sensation, loud moans of pleasure, echoing into the night.

Rachel’s hands wandered down onto Chloe’s jeans, rubbing her sensitive region against the fabric, causing Chloe to inhale sharply.

“Stop teasing me already…” Chloe whimpered weakly.

Rachel nodded in response, opening the car door hastily and nudging Chloe into the back seat. Chloe’s legs had turned to jelly and she tumbled carelessly onto the back seat. Rachel giggled as she reached towards the dashboard to turn on the car stereo.

Through the Cellar Door by Lanterns on the Lake started playing.

Great. Rachel had even prepared a playlist for her first time. Chloe chuckled at the line “Are you coming now”. Guess she would be coming tonight, Chloe thought gleefully.

Rachel joined her at the back seat, smirking as she removed Chloe’s jacket and T-shirt, leaving them carelessly in a pile, before pulling her bra off.

Chloe felt so naked and _vulnerable_ and so damn conscious about her body and her scars that were left from the accident. She had never been naked with anyone before. Not with her ex-es, not even when they made out.  

Chloe brought her hands up to cover herself, hoping to hide all of her flaws and imperfection in front of this beautifully perfect woman. Even though it was dark, she could still see the smile on Rachel’s face as she gazed intensely at Chloe’s naked body.

“You are beautiful, Chloe. There is no need to be embarrassed.” Rachel said as she removed Chloe’s hands from covering her body, eyes never leaving her, admiring her breasts and skin and even her scars.

“Every inch of you is beautiful.”

Chloe melted.

She pushed herself from the seat to wrap her arms around this amazing woman that she just met online.

This incredible woman that her best friend’s girlfriend detested.

This wonderful woman that made her feel more alive than she ever felt, for the first time in her life.

She submitted, willingly, completely, _wholeheartedly_.

Rachel peppered Chloe with soft kisses all over her body. Her touch was always tender and always gentle, leaving hot traces on her skin.

Her heart raced as Rachel unzipped and removed her jeans. Blood pulsed in her veins as Rachel stroke the damp patch on her panties and pulled it down onto her ankles. Her stomach fluttered as Rachel went down on her to lick and tease and savor her clit, while her fingers brushed the opening of her wet slit, before sliding a finger inside.

Chloe hissed and Rachel looked up with concern.

“Does it hurt? Do you want me to stop?”

“No… Don’t stop. Keep going. B- Be gentle.”

And gentle was what Rachel was with Chloe, like she was spinning a delicate crystal glass into shape. Slowly, tenderly, _lovingly_ , Rachel worked her magic on Chloe.

Chloe's breath got heavier and louder, her head felt lighter and her nerves were burning. She clung onto Rachel like she would break if she didn’t, because her body was tense and on fire and was about to snap and she cried out Rachel’s name again and again.

And she came undone.

Her body jerked involuntarily and white spots blotted out her vision as she choked and whimpered.

Rachel continued licking Chloe’s wet folds, moving in sync with Chloe as she rode out her orgasm.

Rachel, then, moved her way up slowly, leaving trails of soft, wet kisses all over Chloe’s body, from her navel to her breasts, to her collarbone up to her neck.

She watched as Chloe fought to get her breathing under control, heaving and panting, trying to calm down from her climax.

She watched as Chloe finally opened her eyes, and returned the same contented smile that Rachel had on her face.

She wiped the sweat from Chloe’s forehead, before planting a kiss on her lips. Chloe kissed her back eagerly, tasting herself on her lips.

This felt awfully intimate and Chloe was suddenly drowning in a torrent of emotions, emotions that threatened to overflow from her eyes in the form of tears.

Rachel seemed to understand. Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around Chloe and held her close, stroking her blonde hair gently.

They stayed like this for some time, listening to each other’s breathing, feeling each other’s heartbeat.

Chloe could hear If You’re Not The One by Daniel Bedingfield playing in the background. She smiled sadly.

_If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today?_

_If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?_

She was contented and happy that Rachel was the one that shared her first time. Yet, she knew she would have to confront her feelings soon.

_I never know what the future brings,_

_But I know you are here with me now,_

_We'll make it through,_

_And I hope you are the one I share my life with_

From the pounding of her heart to the butterflies in her stomach, she knew very well what these all meant.

She had fallen in love with Rachel Amber. Truly, madly, deeply in love with her.

_If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?_

And Chloe knew that she might be heading towards a road of heartbreak and disaster.

_Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?_

But she still held onto a glimpse of hope.

Hope.

That maybe Rachel would one day be hers.

 

* * *

 

_I have spread my dreams under your feet;_

_Tread softly because you tread on my dreams._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologized for the lack of update for close to 2 months. Work basically took over my life and I finally had some breathing space to finish up chapter 4 these past few days.  
> Rating has been upgraded to M for obvious reasons.
> 
> My first time writing a sex scene and it is for Amberprice.  
> I shall plan one for my Maximum Victory too.  
> One day.


	5. Is She Ready For This?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe had a chat with her best friend.  
> Victoria bumped into her arch enemy.  
> Max found out juicy details from her BFF.  
> Rachel really enjoy annoying her ex-fling.

Chloe still remembered the day she fell in love with Long Max Silver.

Max was in the attic sitting by the window, watching Chloe goofed around their “pirate ship”. Chloe caught her staring with a forlorn look on her face.

_“You’re really one of a kind, Chloe Price. I'm glad you're my best friend.”_

It was the tone of her voice and the look on her face that made Chloe's heart skip a beat. Although Chloe now knew Max’s tone and her look that day was probably due to her feeling bad about leaving Chloe to move to Seattle, she couldn't shake the way Max looked at her out of her mind.

She remembered hugging Long Max Silver, almost telling Max that she may have fallen in love with her. Instead, she only told her best friend that ‘you’re the fricking best’.

How fucking brave of you, Chloe Price.

Years later, Chloe would wish she had grown a pair and just tell Max how she felt that day. Max and her family moved to Seattle soon after and true to Max’s promise, they wrote to each other and talked all the time, spending all of their family vacations with each other. It’s like Max never left.

However, Chloe could never find the right time nor courage to tell her how she felt. She was too afraid of losing Max, too afraid she may look at her differently if she ever confessed. So she kept all of these feelings to herself. Instead, she went from one relationship to another, hoping to bury her feelings towards Max.

However, these failed relationships only proved to Chloe that she only had her eyes on her childhood BFF.

And Chloe thought she would never be able to feel so deeply for anyone again.

Until Rachel Amber.

What was it about Rachel that made her so special? She was a totally different animal from Max.

Unlike Max, Rachel was outgoing and confident with a rebellious streak. Never shy to share what’s on her mind and never shy to let people see her shine. Rachel was always the center of attention and always ready to take the world by storm.

On the contrary, Max just wanted to be in the background. Always trying to blend into the scenery. Always afraid to speak up. Always afraid to show the world how awesome she was.

Max Caulfield and Rachel Amber were polar opposites.

And Chloe Price loved them both to bits.

So it was no wonder that Chloe was now in Max Caulfield’s room, sitting on her couch, bouncing nervously on it, opening her mouth and closing it again like a goldfish, trying and failing to share with Max the _most amazing night_ of her life.

“So what exactly happened last night? What surprise did Rachel have for you?” Max had her arm linked with Chloe’s nudging her shoulder gently while giggling like she was eight.

Max was so adorable.

“Rachel brought me to see Firewalk.”

“Holy moly! She what?” Max exclaimed, eyes widened with excitement. Max was not a fan of Firewalk. Not hippy enough for her but Max knew how much Chloe loved them.

“Mhmm. I didn’t even know they were performing in Arcadia Bay. I think it’s a by-invitation-only party and Rachel got the invite,” Chloe shared animatedly. Max could almost feel her vibrate from all the excitement. “And you know what’s the coolest part? They were performing in this old, rundown sawmill that was turned into a punk club. It was like the coolest party I’ve ever been.”

Chloe was beaming so widely, she was sure she looked pretty silly now. But it’s okay. Chloe could afford to look silly in front of her BFF.

“Wow, Rachel seemed like a really cool person. So did you have fun? I bet you did. Anything juicy happened?” Max nudged Chloe playfully again.

Max had really changed after getting together with Victoria. The old Max would blush profusely whenever Chloe shared with Max her make out experience with her ex-es. Now, Max would ask her to share juicy detail without batting an eyelid. Such a change in less than a year.

As much as Chloe hated to admit it, she did think that Victoria was a good influence on Mad Max. Max had become more confident and much more willing to put herself out there without fear. She’s slowly coming out of her shell to blossom into this talented photographer that she always was and Chloe was very happy for Max. Chloe would never admit it, but she was secretly thankful that Victoria Chase was able to bring out the best in her best friend.

“Well… Rachel and I kissed…”

“You already did that on your first date, come on.”

“I know! But it’s different. Last night, our kiss was so... magical.” Chloe sighed with a blissful look on her face.

“Oh my dog… have you fallen for her, Chlo?”

“What? No! Maybe… I dunno…” Chloe was flustered. She was not sure if she had really fallen for Rachel. And even if she did, should she share this information with Max. After all, Victoria and Max shared everything, and Victoria disliked Rachel.

“Chlo, you know that I’ll be happy for you if you’re happy, right?” Max held Chloe’s hand like she knew the conflict that Chloe was feeling inside. “Regardless of what Tori thinks, I’ll support you no matter what.”

Damn. That’s right. Max had always been Chloe’s greatest supporter, even when Chloe did stupid things like blowing up her toys in her room, with total disregard of whether or not it would burn her house down. She’s thankful that it didn’t, and that Joyce and William never found out about their shenanigans. William would be so mad.

“I don’t know, Maximus.” Chloe leaned back onto the couch with a loud sigh. “Rachel is beautiful, amazing, cool, spontaneous, sings like an angel... I think I have fallen for her but I don’t think she feels the same way.”

“Why do you think that way?”

“I stated on my Fridae profile that I was just looking for a fling. A friend with benefit. A no strings attached. That’s the deal. I don’t think Rachel is looking for anything more than that.”

Max listened attentively, humming in response. “And? Has it reached that stage yet?”

Chloe turned to look at Max, face red with embarrassment. “Well… kinda…”

“What? Whoa! Chloe, so how was it? How could you have left out such an important detail from your best friend?”

“‘Cause you never ask! Besides, it’s not a fair sharing of information. You’ve never shared with me your first time with Bitchtoria.”

Max looked straight into Chloe’s eyes, all serious. “Really, Chloe? You really want to know? I can share if you want.”

Chloe waved her hands in the air with a face of disgust. “Ew, no. I don’t want to know how Bitchtoria is like in bed. I already know she is fucking loud when she comes.”

“Oh no!” Max gave her a look of horror. “Are you serious? Were we really that loud?”

Chloe’s face was red, but it was not nearly as red as Max’s face now. “Well, no. Only Vicky was loud as fuck. Please tell her to keep it down. The whole dormitory could hear her scream.”

Max buried her face in her hands and nearly died from embarrassment. If there was a hole in the ground, she would jump into it right now. “Are you cereal? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t want to be a pussy block. She seemed to be really enjoying herself anyway. Way to go, Super Max.” It’s Chloe’s turn to nudge Max playfully.

“If you really want her to shut up, I suggest gagging her. Who knows? She might get off on it.” Chloe said with a wink. Max just groaned. Her whole face was flushed red, even her freckles seemed to be burning brightly from embarrassment.

Chloe thought it was too damn cute.

“Okay, you win, Chloe Price. You don’t have to share your sexcapades if you don’t want to.” Max finally croaked out.

Chloe gave Max a smirk. Nosy Max deserved a little juicy detail after the torment that Chloe just put her through.

“Since you’re my best friend, I’ll just share a little with you. I’m no longer a virgin!” Chloe declared a little too happily. Nosy Max actually cheered and gave Chloe a tight hug.

“Oh my gosh! How was it? Was it good? Spill!”

“It happened in her car. It’s a little cramp, to be honest. But it’s so memorable. She actually scattered rose petals at the backseat of her car just for my first time.” Chloe shared, feeling a little shy and a little proud all at the same time.

“Wowser. Looks like she really had all these planned out. Must be really special.”

“It was magical. If you tell me that sex would feel this good with Eliot or Steph, I would probably laugh at you. You know how my make-out sessions go with Eliot. So much tongue and saliva, it’s just gross. But with Rachel, it just feels so perfect.” Chloe smiled, remembering the scenes from last night. Rachel’s soft tongue on her skin, her teeth nibbling on her neck, her fingers working so skillfully inside of her. It’s perfect.

“Oh, Chlo, you’re so into her. Did you let her know how you feel?” It was a valid question, but Chloe couldn’t help but feel awful just thinking about it. She’s not sure if letting Rachel know how she felt was really the smartest thing to do at this point in time. She was totally enjoying her time with Rachel with no additional emotional baggage pulling them down. What if she confessed her feelings and Rachel just bailed? Chloe could not afford for that to happen.

“No, Max. I don’t think she feels the same way about me. We did agree that this will be a no-strings attached arrangement after all. I don’t want to screw things up, especially when we are still getting to know each other. But hey, at least we are enjoying each other’s company now.”

Max nodded, trying to digest what her best friend had just shared with her. Chloe was someone who always charged ahead without thinking. For Chloe to be mulling over this so much, Max knew Rachel must be a very important person in Chloe’s life right now.

She wondered if she should share with her best friend the history between Victoria and Rachel. And the word of caution her girlfriend gave her.

Max bit her tongue. This wasn’t the occasion to share the history between her girlfriend and the girl Chloe was infatuated with. Not when Chloe was so smitten by her last night’s adventure with Rachel Amber.

“Earth to Max, are you listening? Or are you spacing out on me again?” Chloe’s voice drew Max out of her thoughts.

“S- Sorry, Chlo. What did you say?”

“I said, no matter what happens, I want you to be supportive of everything I do.”

“Everything?” Max repeated.

“Yes, everything. Even if it means being a fling or a fuck buddy or a friends with benefit to Rachel. If I decide that this is what I wanted, I hope you will support me and don’t judge me.” There were a certain melancholy and certainty in Chloe’s voice that made Max nervous.

But Long Max Silver was never used to rejecting Captain Bluebeard’s request. So she nodded quietly.

“Thanks, Mad Max. I know I can always count on you.”

Max kept quiet. She wished nothing but happiness for her best friend. But what if this happiness came with a price? Max secretly prayed that Chloe got the happiness she deserved from this… whatever this is.

  
  


It was a good day for Victoria. A typical Monday. She had finished her lectures for the day and had just gone to the school gym to lift some weights. Toning was a very important part of her exercise regime. She had to make sure her arms, her legs, and her abs were perfect.

Max finished her lessons earlier than her on Monday and was spending time with Price. Apparently, they were supposed to spend some BFF time together to talk about the date Price had the night before.

Price must be gushing over Rachel from their date. Not surprising. Rachel always had that effect on people. Victoria knew because she used to be one of those people under Rachel Amber’s spell.

Pathetic.

Victoria shook her head at that memory.

Since that day she found out she was made used of, she vowed never to show her vulnerability to people that were not worth her time and effort anymore. That's the only way to rise to the top. To be shrewd and even unscrupulous.

Max was an exception and the only exception. Victoria would make sure that Max raised to the top with her – the power couple of Blackwell and the photography industry.

She already had an idea of how to debut their works to the photography world. The Chase Space would hold a photography competition biennially for amateur photographers to showcase their works. The winner would have a chance to exhibit their photographs not only in Chase Space but also their partner gallery in Paris. That would be a…

“Hey, Vicky! You just came from the gym? Looking great.”

Victoria’s thoughts were interrupted by a sickeningly sweet voice.

Goddammit.

Victoria remembered that voice like it was yesterday. The sultriness of the tone, voice dripping with venomous honey.

It's Rachel Amber.

“Wow, your arms are even toner than when I last met you. Looks like someone has been working out.” Rachel smiled while reaching over to touch Victoria’s biceps. Victoria flung her arm back instinctively.

“What're you doing here? You don't stay in the dorm. Why do you have access to this building?”

“Still such a darling, Vicky.” Rachel’s smile never left her face. In fact, she seemed to be grinning wider. “Anyone can come in if they know the matriculation number of someone who stays here. Punching numbers at the door. How hard is that?”

Victoria furrowed her brows and frown deeply. Chloe Price, you idiot. You gave Rachel Amber your matriculation number?

“Don't blame Chloe. She never gave her matriculation number to me.” Rachel added as if reading Victoria’s mind. Victoria could almost feel a shiver ran down her spine. Rachel was always able to read her mind when they were hanging out. It's almost like she's psychic.

“She left her student card in my car. I'm just returning it. Fancy seeing you here.”

“Give it to me. I'll return it to her and you can get your ass out of the dorm.” Victoria replied, trying to show as much spine as she could in her tone.

But Rachel just smiled and took a step closer towards Victoria, totally unperturbed by Victoria’s display of hostility.

Victoria swallowed hard, trying not to waver, but Rachel took another step forward again, inching into Victoria’s personal space.

The scent of vanilla, rose and a tinge of sandalwood invaded Victoria’s senses.

_Crap!_

“So I heard you're seeing someone now. A girl. I thought you say you'll never date a woman again.” Rachel’s lips curled up into a smirk, hazel eyes never leaving Victoria’s.

“It’s none of your goddamn business,” Victoria snarled as she stood her ground but Rachel was so near her now, she had to look away.

“Vicky, come on. I know we ended on a sour note. I didn't expect Mark to hit on me too. It's not my fault he's a pervert…”

“Right, it's not your fault you fucked him.” Victoria snapped.

“It's nothing serious! Look, you can't blame me if Mark chose me instead of you.” Rachel shrugged.

That completely pushed Victoria off the edge. She flew into a rage.

“Fuck you! I don't need to whore myself out to some pervert to get my works out there!” Victoria knew there were too many pairs of ears and eyes in the dormitory and it’s not the best place to discuss this, but she was too pissed off to care.

Rachel took a step back but her smile never left her face.

“Still so hot-tempered, Vicky. I hope that one day, you'll learn how to seize the opportunity instead of being so bitter about everything. You're talented, but you have the social skills of a cow.”

Victoria almost slapped her.

Almost.

But she thought about Max and how she would be very disappointed with her if she went ahead to beat the shit out of her best friend’s new squeeze. So she just clenched her fist into a ball and gritted her teeth.

Rachel was still smiling. Triumphantly.

“Fuck off, bitch.” Victoria spat.

“I will after I meet Chloe, don't have to get your panties in a bunch.”

“Why are you with Chloe? She has nothing to offer you. What do you want from her?” Chloe Price was never Victoria’s favorite person but even she did not want to see her girlfriend’s best friend get hurt.

“Just to pass time. I'm bored and I've got time to spare.” Rachel brushed her fingers through her dirty blonde hair before flicking it. “Besides, Chloe reminded me of you. And you know how much fun we had together. I really miss those times, you know?” Rachel winked playfully.

Victoria rolled her eyes and was about to call out on Rachel’s bullshit when someone shouted down the hallway.

“Rachel! Why are you here?”

Chloe almost had a skip in her step when she walked towards them. She stopped when she realized the there was an odd tension in the air.

“What’s going on? Is Icky Vicky harassing you?”

“Oh please, I can’t wait for her to leave me the fuck alone.” Victoria practically hissed out. Before she could continue, she felt a soft, warm hand grasping on her hand.

Victoria forgot that Max and Chloe were spending time together, and in Victoria’s fit of anger, she didn't even see her following behind Chloe. Max unclenched her fist and interlaced their hands and Victoria could immediately feel her breathing slowed down with this tender gesture from her girlfriend.

Max always had that calming effect on her.

“You must be Max. I’ve heard so much about you.” Rachel was still flashing her classic smile as she moved forward to give Max a hug.

Max returned the hug with one hand, the other hand never letting go of her girlfriend.

“Nice to meet you, Rachel.” Max smiled back shyly. “Chloe has been talking about you.”

“Oh? I hope it's all good things.” Rachel laughed, wrapping her hand around Chloe’s waist, causing Chloe to blush lightly.

“Only the best, of course!” Chloe said, giving Rachel a kiss on the cheek. Victoria rolled her eyes at that display of affection. “Why are you here? Wanna go to my room?”

“You left this in my car, silly.” Rachel placed Chloe’s matriculation card into her hands. “I would love to visit your room, but I have a tutorial to attend soon. Maybe another time?”

Chloe looked down with downcasted eyes, disappointed with Rachel’s reply. She looked so much like a lost puppy, Victoria felt like kicking her out of it.

“Hey, I promise I'll visit another time, tomorrow maybe?” Rachel added, giving Chloe a peck on her lips. Chloe smiled and nodded like an eager puppy.

“Make sure you don’t invite yourself in, or I’ll call security.” Victoria scorned.

Chloe puffed out, mouth opening and ready to throw some insult at Victoria but Rachel beat her to it. “You’ll be surprised how many people are dying to invite me into their room. After all, I don’t have social skills of a cow.”

“Fuck you!”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll like that, don’t you, Vicky?” Rachel grinned. “But for Max and Chloe’s sake, let’s not.”

Victoria gritted her teeth. Max gave her hand a squeeze, stroking her hand gently, trying to reassure her and to calm her down.

Victoria’s expression softened immediately, to Rachel’s surprise. She took a good look at the girl who’s able to work such magic on Victoria Chase, the alpha bitch of Vortex Club.

This brunette with freckles was cute, but she wasn’t exactly pretty. Wearing a graphic T-shirt with jeans and a messenger bag slung across her rather flat chest, her fashion sense was a great contrast with Victoria’s haute couture. Rachel was amused that Victoria would even fall for a girl as plain as Max.

This was interesting and Rachel knew a way to make all of this even more interesting.

“I'm glad to meet you today, Max. I had been dying to meet the legendary girl who is able to tame Victoria Chase and melt her ice-cold heart.” Rachel said with a twinkle in her eye. “You know what? I think we should go on a double date one day! To a Vortex party. How about that?”

“What? No! Who wants to go on a double date with you?!” Victoria exclaimed.

“I heard you’ve never been to a Vortex party. Aren’t you curious to know how Vicky is like, twerking to the music?” Rachel continued, still looking at Max intensely, totally ignoring Victoria’s violent protest. “It will be fun, isn’t it?”

Chloe seemed to catch on to what Rachel was up to and joined in to persuade Max. Anything to make Victoria squirmed.

“Come on, Maximus! It will be fun! I’ve never been to a party with you before.”

Max giggled nervously, not knowing what to say. On one hand, she didn’t want to upset her girlfriend, but on the other hand, Chloe sounded so excited about this double date and she didn’t want to disappoint her best friend.

“Think about it, Max.” Rachel said as she reached over to place her hand on Max’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze, to Victoria’s dismay. “If your girlfriend doesn’t want to join us, we can always go out on our own.”

Victoria slapped Rachel’s hand away from Max’s shoulder and frowned. “Keep your hands to yourself.”

Rachel raised her hands up and took a step back. “Whoa, I forgot Vicky is a jealous monster. I would be too if I have such a cute girlfriend like you.” Rachel said that out so casually, even Chloe was surprised at how smooth she was.

Max was already blushing at that remark, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

“Gosh, you’re so cute. I can see why Vicky and Chloe are so smitten by you. Forget about that double date. Maybe you and I could just go on a date of our own one day.”

Max and Chloe widened their eyes at what Rachel just said. Victoria huffed out forcefully and glared at Rachel, shooting daggers from her eyes. If looks could kill, Rachel would have died a thousand deaths from Victoria’s death glare.

But Rachel laughed instead.

“Hahaha! Come on, guys, I'm obviously joking. Gosh, you guys are uptight.” Rachel turned around and gave Chloe a hug. “I think I better go before Vicky throw me out. I'll message you later, babe.” Rachel looked at Max again. “Think about that double date, alright Maxie? It’ll be fun to see Vicky drunk, I promise.”

“Get the fuck out, bitch.” Victoria was losing her patience and was about to snap again.

Thinking that’s enough fun for the day, Rachel turned and sashayed down the dormitory’s hallway like a model would. Before she opened the door to the exit, she turned to face Chloe and gave her a flying kiss.

Rachel finally exited the dorm, the door closing behind her with a loud thud, to Victoria’s relief. It was barely fifteen minutes and already she was feeling more tired than her workout in the gym.

“Wipe that stupid grin off your face, Price.” Victoria blurted, eager to pour her frustration towards Rachel at Chloe.

“Super Max, your bitch is barking again. Put a muzzle on her, will ya?” Chloe rebutted as she walked into her room and slamming the door shut, leaving Victoria yelling a string of profanities.

Chloe felt sorry to say that to her best friend’s girlfriend but Rachel was always able to give her courage to stand up for herself and she wasn’t going to just accept every insult Victoria threw in her face just because she was Max’s girlfriend.

Victoria was fuming. She threw her sports bag on her couch the moment she stepped into her room, Max following close behind.

“Now you know why I hate Rachel?”

“She does seem to enjoy riling you up.”

“You see what I mean!” Victoria slumped onto the couch, crossing her hands.

“But!” Max added, “You are giving her all the reactions she wanted out of you and that’s why she kept on going. She knows all your weak spots and you’re serving it to her on a silver platter.”

Victoria groaned. “You’ve a point. I just get so angry when she’s around.”

“Then try to keep that anger under control. If you don’t give her any ammunition, she won’t be able to shoot you with it.”

Victoria mulled over what Max just said. Sometimes, her girlfriend was really wise beyond her years.

“And I think we should go to Vortex Party together, with them,” Max said, bracing herself for the backlash.

“What!? But why? You hated such parties!” There’s exasperation in Victoria’s voice now.

“She isn’t expecting you to say yes, so maybe it’s time to take control of the situation, show her you can have a good time even if she’s around,” Max explained.

Victoria frowned but Max could tell she was thinking about it.

“Also… I really want to see you twerking to the music.”

“Maxine!” Victoria rolled her eyes.

Max moved up to Victoria, straddling her legs and giving her a kiss on her lips. “And I really want to dance with my girlfriend,” Max muttered.

For the first time today, Victoria smiled. She hated Rachel but her love for Max was greater than that hate and she could deal with Rachel Amber.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Max’s lips curled up into a wide smile. She leaned in to kiss her girlfriend again, only this time she never stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took longer to update because I was busy writing Unbreakable. Thank you for your continuous support and rest assured I will finish this story.  
> The next update should be in May.


	6. You Are Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a chillax day for Chloe and Rachel but they were interrupted by an unexpected guest.  
> Chloe was about to find out a little secret of Rachel.

Chloe could only dream of how it was like waking up with the one she loved.

She should have mentally berated herself for using the ‘L’ word.

But now, all she could think of was to indulge in that emotion and savored every bit of this moment - soft arms across her bare breasts, gentle breathing on her neck, occasional light pecks on her cheek.

Chloe was pleasantly surprised when she received a call from Rachel a day after the skirmish with Bitchtoria by the hallway. Not only did she want to take a look at Chloe’s room in the dorm, she wanted to stay the night too.

Chloe suspected that Rachel wanted to show up in the dormitory to piss Victoria off, which was fine by her. She was just delighted to be able to spend all the time with Rachel in her room. Rachel’s presence did make Victoria jittery the whole day which was satisfying, to say the least.

It really was a win-win situation for them both.

The best part was just how comfortable they were with each other as they slept in each other’s arms, naked. It’s like the initial nervousness that Chloe felt on the night of the Firewalk concert had all melted away.

She felt safe and relaxed in Rachel’s embrace like it was meant to be.

Why did it feel so different waking up with Rachel than with Eliot or Steph? She felt so energized just laying next to her, even though they practically banged the whole night.

Rachel Amber was a fiend in bed and Chloe was so glad that she was able to keep up with her all night. All her skateboarding with Justin and Trevor paid off, and now she could finally understand why Trevor had been training extra hard after getting together with Dana.

Cardio was so important, kids. Never skip your cardio.

She was sure they were pretty loud last night, even with her stereo blasting music throughout. Not like she was embarrassed by it, she’s finally getting some and it’s darn good sex.

She was also glad to be able to pay back Bitchtoria for all the nights she tormented Chloe with her loud display of affection with Max.

She had received a couple of text from Max but she had not looked at them yet. After all, her arms were wrapped around the hottest woman in college and she really didn’t have spare hands to click on her best friend’s text on how they were too loud the previous night and her bitch of a girlfriend was upset over it.

“Mmm...” Rachel stirred, blinking her eyes, trying to adjust to the sunlight pouring into Chloe’s room.

Chloe leaned over and gave her a kiss on her nose. “Wakey bakey, sleepy head.” Chloe gave her a kiss again on her lips.

“Mmm… wake and bake sound like a hella great idea, Chloe.” Rachel responded, nestling herself into Chloe’s arms.

“Too bad I don’t have any pot in here.” Chloe said, stroking Rachel’s shoulder gently.

“It’s a good thing I have a blunt in my bag then.” Rachel gave Chloe an impish grin.

“Wh- what? You brought weed to campus?” Chloe widened her eyes in surprise.

“Where else can I smoke them?” Rachel said while reaching over to her bag, taking out a blunt. “So? You wanna medicate?”

Chloe hesitated. The dormitory had strict rules against smoking in the room. Offenders would be removed from the dormitory and would never have a chance to apply for a room again.

“Well?” Rachel looked at her with those hazel brown, doe eyes. “C’mon, you only live once.”

Chloe took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. She had no defenses against those hazel eyes looking so intensely at her.

“Why the hell not,” Chloe said as she threw caution to the wind, taking the blunt from Rachel and letting Rachel light it up.

“You really gotta lighten up, babe.” Rachel said as she took the blunt back from Chloe and took a drag. “When’s the last time you did anything fun and spontaneous?”

“Er…” Chloe thought long and hard. “A few days ago at the Firewalk gig?”

“Babe!” Rachel gave Chloe a playful slap on her shoulder. “I mean without me. When’s the last time you did anything fun and spontaneous that’s not with me.”

“Mad Max ain’t exactly the spontaneous type…”

“Uh huh? You still haven’t answered the question.”

Chloe paused, trying to search through her recent memory. “I guess a couple of months ago? I had a sharpie with me and I drew some of my trademark ‘art’ on that pretentious sculpture of Jeremiah Blackwell.”

“That’s hella awesome!” Rachel gave Chloe an encouraging pat on her back. “See? You’ve got a rebellious streak in you. You just gotta let that side of you show. Life’s too short not to have fun!”

“You’re right. I mean, I’ve always been the more adventurous one, blowing dolls up in my house with Max.”

Rachel raised her eyebrows at that information, giving Chloe an approving thumbs up.

“But I guess after my accident, I kinda mellowed down? I’d always wanted to see the world with my good o’l truck. Have a road trip to Seattle to find Max, y’know what I mean?” Chloe took the blunt from Rachel and took a long drag, a pensive look on her face.

“If that asshole had not driven me into a ditch, things might be different now. I can’t even sit in the driver’s seat without having a panic attack.”

Rachel wrapped Chloe in her arms and stroked her head gently. “It’s okay. Baby steps. Maybe you can learn to ride a bike instead? I can let you ride my bike at the junkyard.”

Chloe scoffed. “You think that will work? I might just freeze when I get on the road.”

“Hey, I’m Rachel Amber. I make miracles happen.” Rachel gave Chloe a smirk. “Do you trust me, Chloe?”

Chloe wondered if Rachel was high from the pot to make such a statement, but she wasn’t going to deny any miracle that Rachel was promising her.

“Of course I trust you, Rach. You know that.”

“Good. Let’s skip our lectures for the day and go do something crazy.” Rachel gave Chloe a wink and a mischievous smile.

“Wh- what? But I’ve got a chemistry assignment to hand up today.” Chloe replied hesitantly. “Maybe another d–”

Just then, Chloe’s phone rang. Max’s dorky face flashed on her phone.

“Hey Maximus Prime, what’s up?”

“Are you trying to get yourself kicked out of the dorm, _Price_?”

Bloody hell, it’s Bitchtoria! Max, you pushover!

“I can smell the weed even from my room! Open the damn window if you wanna get high, you dumbass!”

“Fuck you too, Vicky!” Chloe was high and she wasn’t going to hold back.

“Chloe? Sorry, Chlo. I smell something funny and asked Tori about it and she insisted that she wants to talk to you. Please don’t be mad at her, we’re just concern about –”

“Well, so much for your concern, Max! You are _such_ a great friend to let you bitch of a girlfriend lash out at me.” Chloe hung up the phone without waiting for Max’s reply.

She turned to Rachel, who was watching the whole shouting match Chloe had over the phone in amusement. “Let’s go, Rach. Let’s get out of here.”

“Oh? Don’t you have chemistry assignment to hand up today?”

“Fuck that shit. Let’s get the hell outta here and do something crazy today.”

Rachel just gave Chloe a big smile.

She’s so glad she’s a good bad influence on this girl.

  
  
  


They rode all the way to American Rust on Rachel’s Gilera Runner. With the wind in Chloe’s face, the feeling of freedom on the roads of Arcadia Bay, maybe Rachel could really help her get over her fear of driving – or in this case, riding – on the roads.

It sounded crazy, considering that Chloe had never ever ridden a motorcycle before, and sitting in the driver’s seat still sent her into a panic attack, but maybe Chloe needed some crazy in her life right now. Especially since Max had been a total pushover by her bitch of a girlfriend and had seemingly betrayed their friendship by letting Bitchtoria yelled at her like that.

Gosh, Chloe was so disappointed in Max, she had been ignoring all of Max’s texts of apologies. Although she knew that she could never stay mad at Max for long, but as of now, she was ready to give her the hell of a cold shoulder.

“So you want to give it a try?” Rachel asked when they both got off at a clearing right before American Rust.

Rachel held her bike for Chloe and signaled her to get on.

“You sure about this, Rach? I’d never ride a bike before and I’m not sure if I’ll crash your bike.”

“Don’t be such a worrywart. I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Rachel gave her shoulder a squeeze to assure her.

“But…” Chloe furrowed her brows and frowned. She was starting to get the jitters.

“Trust me, Chloe. It’ll be fine. Live a little, will you?”

Chloe’s hands started to sweat and she could feel the sense of anxiety in the pit of her stomach.

Damn the accident. She used to love driving, loved cruising down the streets with her trashy punk rock songs blasting from her stereo, loved driving to the cliff where the lighthouse was and just stared into the vast horizons of the Pacific Ocean.

But after the accident, something changed inside of her.

She was no longer the adventurous Cap’n Bluebeard that could sail the Seven Seas with no fear nor hesitation.

She hated this Chloe. She wanted her spontaneous self back.

To live life to the fullest.

So she forced herself to straddle onto the seat of the bike and just do it.

“That’s my girl!” Rachel rewarded Chloe with a kiss on her cheek.

“Now, balancing on the scooter is very much the same you would on a bicycle,” Rachel explained while steadying her bike for Chloe. “Hold the handle and turn it down to accelerate – that’s the throttle – and lift your feet up like you would on a bicycle.”

Rachel held onto Chloe’s hand and helped her twist the handle slightly, causing her motorcycle to move forward slowly.

Chloe flinched involuntarily and grabbed onto Rachel’s hand in a panic, causing the bike to lose its balance and tilt towards the right. Chloe tried to swerve the handle of the bike back to balance, but it was too heavy.

She’s going to crash.

Rachel immediately pressed down on the brakes and leaned towards the bike, pushing it straight up again.

“Whoa, chill, babe!” Rachel exclaimed, holding onto Chloe. “Are you alright?”

Chloe’s face had turned pale, with beads of sweat rolling down her forehead.

“I- I’m okay.” Chloe stammered, but her hands had turned cold and clammy.

Rachel patted Chloe on the shoulder to calm her down. The accident had affected Chloe more than Rachel had expected. It would take several lessons of “Rachel’s Therapy” to help Chloe overcome her fear.

It’s alright though. Rachel Amber loved a challenge.

Rachel gave Chloe a kiss again on her head before she off the engine of her bike.

“It’s alright, babe. Baby steps, one at a time.” Rachel said and she helped Chloe out of her bike. “We will get rid of your fear on the roads bit by bit.”

“Dammit,” Chloe muttered as she kicked the dirt on the road in frustration.

She _hated_ this side of her.

Hated how spineless she had become.

She was no longer the fearless pirate she once was.

Rachel wrapped her arms around Chloe and patted her gently on the head.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. I fell a number of times when I first learn the bike. So you’re so much better than me for your first time.”

“I don’t know, Rach.” Chloe sighed, settling herself comfortably in Rachel’s embrace. “Feels like a part of me died the day I had my accident.”

Chloe wrapped herself in her own arms unconsciously, hands still trembling from her near crash.

Rachel cupped Chloe’s face and looked into her eyes.

“Then let me light up your life again.” There was a fire in Rachel’s eyes that Chloe had never seen before. It sent shivers down her spine.

For a long time, Chloe had lost the zest she once had when she was a child.

Ever since Max left for Seattle, she had been all alone in school, getting bullied for her dress sense. Although she managed to make friends after that and even had a close friend named Megan in middle school, she was never able to open her heart like she could with Max.

She was thankful that Max did all she could to keep in contact, spending all her vacation with her. But truth be told, it was not enough, especially after the accident, where Chloe was scarred for life.

Max cared, of course, and even rushed back to Arcadia Bay to visit her the moment she learned about her accident. She even tried convincing her parents to enroll her into Blackwell Academy but they refused, as that would mean giving up her scholarship in Seattle.

The days after the accident was living hell. She suffered second-degree burns on her right arm and it took months for it to heal. Her confidence took a dip as her scars were a constant reminder of how she would never be the same again.

But Rachel was staring into her eyes with such ferocity that it stirred something inside of her.

Something that she thought had long died when the SUV rammed head-on into her red truck and caused her truck to flip and crashed into the ditch.

Rachel reached out and held Chloe’s shaking hand.

So soft, so warm and so comforting.

“Let’s go to the hideout.” Rachel smiled as she said to Chloe, leading her to the shack.

She lit up a cigarette and offered it to Chloe. Chloe took the cigarette and puffed out the white smoke, watching the different shapes it formed.

“Thank you.” Chloe finally spoke.

“It’s just a cig.” Rachel laughed.

“No, I mean... thanks for trying to help me get over my fear.” Chloe turned to look Rachel in the eyes.

Rachel was so beautiful, with the sunlight shining in through the window and onto her face. There was an ethereal glow around her.

“You can thank me when I really cure you of your fear.” Rachel’s lips curled up into a beautiful smile.

It was magnetic.

Chloe was drawn into it. She couldn’t help but pressed her lips softly to Rachel’s lips.

Rachel kissed back, and it was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

Chloe melted into her kiss.

The taste of cigarettes, mixed with the scent of rose, vanilla, and sandalwood.

It’s intoxicating.

She tightened her embrace, tugging Rachel’s dirty blonde hair desperately.

She could feel Rachel’s hand slipping under her T-shirt.

She gasped and sighed into the kiss.

“Rachie! You in there?”

Their sweet kiss was interrupted by a low, rough voice.

Chloe broke away reluctantly, with Rachel leaning forward to give her a final, quick kiss on the lips.

“Gimme a sec.” Rachel gave Chloe’s hand a gentle squeeze before walking out of the shack.

Chloe followed her to the door and saw a man with a scruffy beard standing outside, an RV was parked nearby.

Wasn’t that Shaggy? What was he doing in the junkyard?

“Hey, Frank.” Rachel greeted Shaggy with a hug.

Right. Shaggy’s name was Frank.

“Hey Rachie.” Frank gave Rachel a kiss on her cheek, to Chloe’s dismay, before glancing over at Chloe’s direction. “Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all,” Rachel replied, pulling Frank away, a deliberate attempt to not let Chloe listened in to their conversation.

Chloe frowned. She didn’t like this at all.

Frank said something to Rachel, before stuffing an envelope into her hands. It was like deja vu to Chloe. Why was Frank always giving Rachel dubious packages?

Frank leaned over again and gave Rachel a kiss that was dangerously close to her lips. Chloe wanted to shout at him but she bit her tongue when Frank turned around to walk back to his RV.

“What was that about?” Chloe asked when Rachel returned to the hideout, trying hard not to sulk.

“Replenishing my dope.” Rachel smiled as she took out a bag of weed. Chloe thought she saw some pills and stacks of bills inside the envelope too.

“Why did Shaggy give you so much cash?”

Rachel looked away, humming a song, pretending not to hear Chloe’s question.

Chloe walked up in front of her and placed her hand on Rachel’s shoulder. Bad things happened when money was exchanged in a place like a junkyard and Chloe needed to know _why_.

“Why did Shaggy give you so much cash, Rach?”

“We have a little business going on, no biggie.”

“What type of business?” Chloe’s voice was shaky at this point. What did a girl like Rachel have to do with a shady guy like Frank?

“I just- I refer people who need party favors to him and get a cut from it,” Rachel said, brushing her fingers through her hair to mask her uneasiness. “I get free weed and some money in return. It’s a good deal.”

“Gosh, Rachel. Are you a dealer now? Do you deal in school?” Chloe raised her voice up in frustration.

“Geez, no! Of course not! I’m not that dumb, okay. I still need to graduate from college.” Rachel raised her hands up in exasperation.

“You’re the district attorney’s daughter. Why do you need the money for?” Chloe just wouldn’t let it go. She had a bad feeling about Frank.

“Chloe, not everyone expects their parents to pay for every damn thing. I am not like Victoria or that Nathan kid, alright?” Rachel sat down on the makeshift car seat lounge chair and slumped into it. “And not everyone is close to their parents.”

Rachel shifted uneasily in the seat, muttering but only just audibly, “I can’t wait to get out of this shitty little town.”

There was sadness in Rachel’s eyes, like that night when Rachel was lamenting about the stars, about how they were all already dead. How they were all lies.

Chloe wondered what was eating Rachel. She never liked to talk about her parents and seemed to hate this town.

It’s something Chloe may never understand. She was loved by William and Joyce, and even though Arcadia Bay was a small, fishing town, it was where she grew up, where Max and she built their pirate ship and shared their dreams.

It was not much, but it was home.

Why did Rachel look like a stranger in her own hometown?

Why did Rachel look so lonely, even when she was surrounded by people who loved her? Surrounded by people like Chloe who adored her?

Rachel was a mystery that Chloe would like to unravel. She wondered if Rachel would ever trust her enough to share that side of her.

But for now, Chloe was happy just to rest her head on Rachel’s shoulders, kissing her lightly on her lips and holding Rachel’s hands in hers.

Rachel’s hands were so cold. Chloe held them tight and rubbed them gently with her hands to warm them up.

If Rachel could light up Chloe’s world to help her overcome her fear, Chloe could stand by her to warm her heart and made her smile.

Once again, like all the times they hung out together, Chloe and Rachel fell into a companionable silence. Both just staring out of the window in the shack, listening to the birds chirping away.

Chloe noticed a sharpie at the corner of the shack and decided to put her artistic talent to good use.

She got out of her chair and picked up the black sharpie, before walking to the wall where the window was.

Rachel cocked her head to the side and smiled, curious to see what Chloe was up to.

Chloe uncapped the sharpie with her mouth and proceeded to write the words “LALALAND THIS WAY”. Then, she drew an arrow pointing to the window.

Rachel laughed in amusement. “Lalaland?”

“You always wanted to get out of this town, so let this be a start. You know, off we go to Lala Land!”

Rachel continued laughing at Chloe’s antics. But Chloe was not done.

She went to the next wall and scribbled “CHLOE WAS HERE.” with her sharpie.

Chloe stepped back to take a good look at her masterpiece. Satisfied, she turned to look at Rachel.

“Come on, Rach,” Chloe said jovially as she pointed the sharpie towards Rachel. “Time for you to leave your mark at your hideout.”

Rachel giggled as she pushed herself out of her seat, brushed her hands on her jeans and took the sharpie from Chloe.

Just below Chloe’s graffiti, Rachel wrote, “RACHEL WAS HERE.” In the same capital letters as Chloe.

“There. Now this place really feels like home.” Chloe smiled brightly at Rachel.

And Rachel flashed Chloe her biggest smile. “Yes, this is home. My home away from hell.”

Rachel reached over and placed her arms over Chloe’s shoulder. “Since I’ve some cash now, I really wanna get something for you.”

She looked Chloe in the eyes, their faces were so close, her breath was hot on Chloe’s cheeks.

“Let’s get you something that will last a lifetime.”

Rachel closed the distance and kissed Chloe.

Chloe closed her eyes and kissed Rachel back.

Little did Rachel knew that she had already given Chloe the greatest gift Chloe had ever received.

The memories and experiences that Chloe knew would last a lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story of this chapter was not supposed to go this way but somehow the story took a life of its own and brought the girls to American Rust instead.
> 
> Next chapter will still be about Amberprice but we will be having some Chasefield very soon.
> 
> Stay tuned!


	7. I Am Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A gift of a life time.
> 
> Chloe should be happy but she was not.
> 
> How much did she really know about Rachel?

With Chloe riding as pillion, Rachel rode from American Rust near the outskirts of Arcadia Bay all the way to the shopping district where they had their first date.

Rachel stopped her scooter near the shady alley where the hipster cafe, Foxhole, was and walked all the way into the end of the alleyway, with Chloe following close behind.

“We are not here to have coffee again, are we?” Chloe asked as she caught up with Rachel to stroll side by side. “Truth be told, I still prefer my coffee from those diners like Two Whales.”

“Oh, Two Whales. I like their waffles with bacon.” Rachel said while reaching out to hold Chloe’s hand.

“You go there often? I’ve never seen you there.”

“Go there enough to have my own customized waffles with bacon. People are always arguing over what to get - Belgian waffles or bacon omelet. I say, why not have both” Rachel gave Chloe her signature wink and impish smile.

Chloe laughed, recalling all the time Max had trouble deciding Belgian waffles or bacon omelet for breakfast until Joyce decided to just give her both. Max was beaming from ear to ear that day when she had her first waffles with bacon omelet.

“We’re not here for coffee. There’s somewhere I need to be today.” Rachel continued walking, turning a few corners deeper into the alley. “I hope you’re not afraid of needles.”

“What?” Chloe whipped her head towards Rachel with panic in her eyes. “Are we trying drugs??”

Was Rachel trying to get her to do hardcore drugs? She was not supposed to. William would kill her if she ever tried those drugs.

But Rachel’s laughter filled the air instead. “Chloe…” Rachel couldn’t stop laughing. “You’re hilarious, you know that?”

“Wh- why? Stop laughing!” Chloe stopped and gave Rachel a look of bewilderment.

“You are hella paranoid! Don’t worry. I know you can’t handle anything hardcore.” Rachel gave Chloe a playful nudge.

Chloe pouted. “It’s not funny, Rach.”

Rachel leaned forward to kiss Chloe’s pout away. “You will love this, trust me.” Rachel stopped in front of a door with neon lights by the window.

She opened the door and Chloe could immediately hear a buzzing sound in the air. A heavily tattooed man sporting a cool pink mohawk holding a pen-like equipment was drawing on the ankle of a short, red-haired lady.

Rachel had brought her to a tattoo parlor.

Chloe could only gulp nervously

“Rachie!”

A long-haired Asian lady walked up to Rachel and gave her a hug. She had a tattoo of a blue swallow on her arm.

“Hey, Maddy.” Rachel returned the hug. “How have you been?”

“Been busy. Dex and I have not even had time to pee today.” Maddy joked. “Finally managed to catch a break but here you are. But that’s a happy problem.”

Noticing there was a girl standing sheepishly behind Rachel, Maddy turned her attention to Chloe, who gave her a nervous wave.

“Well, who have we here?”

“That’s my friend, Chloe. We’re here to get her first tattoo.” Rachel gave Chloe a cheeky smile.

“Wh- What?! We are?” Chloe exclaimed, eyes widened in shock.

“C’mon Chloe. Didn’t we say you can get a badass tattoo to cover that scar up? A skull? Some vines?”

Chloe held out her hand in protest. “That’s just random talks. I didn’t know you’re serious about me getting a tatt.” Chloe took a step back, still in shock. “I don’t even know if I’m serious about me getting a tatt!”

“Seems like you two need to talk, I shall leave you both to make up your mind,” Maddy said while putting her hand on Rachel’s shoulder. “Just don’t take too long. I’ve another appointment in an hour and a half’s time.”

Maddy moved into another room.

The pink mohawk guy, presumably Dex, kept staring at them, while his hands nimbly moved the tattoo pen along the skin of the lady he was tattooing, wiping off the blood as he did.

Rachel caught his eyes and smiled at him. He returned a nod.

“Got time to touch up my tatts later, Dex?”

“For you, always.” Dex grunted out, “I’ll be done soon. Not so sure about you.” With that, Dex let out a guffaw.

Rachel returned her attention to the girl bobbing nervously in front of her.

“Rach, I don’t think I can do this.”

“Chloe, you been through the gates of death. You can go through this little bit of pain.” Rachel placed her arm around Chloe’s waist and pulled her close. “It’s my first gift for you. You can’t be seriously thinking of rejecting me.”

“B- but, my dad’s not gonna be pleased.” Chloe protested weakly. With Rachel holding her close like this, it’s getting harder to resist.

“You will get an awesome tattoo that covers up the scars on your arm. The scars you have gotten from that terrible accident that still gives you PTSD. He’ll understand.” Rachel gave Chloe a peck on her cheek. “C’mon Chlo. For me?” And looked at her with those large, cat-liked hazel eyes.

Damn.

At that moment, Chloe knew she could never ever refused Rachel anything. She seriously is a bad influence on Chloe.

A _good_ bad influence.

“Alright, alright. A small one.”

“Chloe. A small tattoo can’t cover all the scars on your arm. It’s go big or go home. You with me?”

Chloe looked at her arm and hesitated. She really was not ready for such a drastic change in her life. A tattoo was for life. It’s not henna or airbrush art.

“You’ll love it, Chloe. I’ve designed a tattoo just for you.” Rachel took out her phone and opened up her picture app.

A picture of green vines and red ribbons and red hibiscuses and blue butterflies.

In the middle of it all, a skull.

“This… isn’t this the design we talked about in the cafe that day?” Chloe found herself choked up just thinking about it.

It was a casual mention. Did Rachel actually designed the tattoo… for her?

“On our first date.” Rachel grinned at Chloe, “You said the skull represents your brush with death and your rebirth. So there. The skull takes center stage. The sign of death. The flowers, vines and the blue butterflies are symbols of your rebirth.”

Chloe’s lips curled up into a happy grin then as she realized the reality of it all, her smile disappeared.

Chloe reached out to hold Rachel’s hand before leading her into a corner

“But Rach…” Chloe whispered urgently. “This tattoo is huge. It’s going to cost a hell lot of money. I- I don’t have that kinda money.”

Rachel held onto Chloe’s hand and gave it a squeeze reassuringly. “I told you I’m gonna give you a gift of a lifetime, didn’t I?”

“But Rachel! This looks expensive. I can’t let y-“

Rachel placed a finger on Chloe’s lips to stop her from her rambling. “Don’t worry about it. Maddy owes me a favor. She will know what to do.” Then gave Chloe her signature wink.

“It’s a huge tattoo, I know. It’s gonna take a few sessions to get this done but I’ll be there with you every session, so don’t you worry.” Rachel looked into Chloe’s eyes earnestly. “Now, all you need to do is give me the word.”

Chloe knew this was going to be a decision of a lifetime.

Chloe knew this was going to be on her skin forever.

Chloe knew this was too impulsive and rash and crazy and _totally nuts_ but she knew if she rejects Rachel now, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

It wouldn’t hurt to live a little, would it?

“Okay. Let’s do this.”

 

\----

 

It hurts like a motherfucker.

Maddy had put on her rubber glove with a loud smack, wiped Chloe’s arm down with the bottle of cleaning solution and gave her a smile that looked more like a grimace.

“Hope you’re ready, girly. This is real ambitious for a first tattoo.”

Chloe could only return a pained smile that she was pretty sure looked like an awkward grimace as well.

The moment the needle moved along her skin, Chloe knew she was screwed.

Wouldn't hurt to live a little? Who was she kidding?

How would she even describe this pain? She thought it would feel like poking pain. But damn, this felt like having a painful sunburn being scratched repeatedly by an angry kitty.

Beads of blood began to form on her skin and Chloe could only grit her teeth and winced as quietly as she could.

“You doing okay, girly?” Maddy asked without looking up at her. Chloe could see the outline of the skull slowly taking shape.

“Mmhmm” Chloe could only let out a small sound.

Rachel who was seated on another chair just laughed. “It’s okay to cry out, you know? Or cry. It’s fine. I won’t tell anyone.” Dex had finished his session with the red-head earlier on and prepping Rachel for the touch up of her dragon tattoo on her calf.

“M’okay,” Chloe replied weakly. The pain was getting more and more manageable with each stroke of the tattoo pen. Or maybe she was just getting numbed. She couldn’t tell anymore.

Maddy was wiping the blood off her arm as she drew out the outline of the skull skillfully.

It was forming more beautifully than Chloe had imagined.

“I conceptualized this whole design with Rachel,” Maddy said as she wiped blood off Chloe’s arm. “She has always wanted to do a sleeve tattoo the moment she turned eighteen and have been thinking of a few designs. But she never goes through with it ever since she decides she wants to be a model.” Maddy paused and buzzing sound filled the air.

“A few weeks ago, she came to me. Have this crazy idea of designing a full sleeve tattoo of ribbons and vines and butterflies and flowers. And a skull in the middle of it.” Maddy said as she gave Chloe a glance before going back to concentrate on her work.

“She gave me a rough outline and asked me if I’m able to finish the design for her since I’m better at it than her. I don’t usually do favors for people, but Rachel is like my little sister. I can never say no to her.”

“That makes two of us,” Chloe replied, giving Rachel a sheepish smile. Rachel looked over and gave a thumbs up to them both, giggling.

“Not many people can, truth be told,” Maddy said in a lower voice. “Look, Chloe. A tatt is for life and I don’t want you to be coerced into doing something you don’t want to. I can stop at this skull and call it a day or I can keep going if getting a sleeve tattoo is really what you want.”

Chloe looked at Maddy, then at the skull tattoo forming on her arm, then at Rachel.

She certainly didn’t wake up this morning deciding to get a tattoo.

But she did spend a big part of her life after the accident trying to hide and cover the scars on her arm which was a constant reminder of that terrible accident she was trying so hard to forget.

Rachel came along and gave her a great solution to this problem.

Countering pain with pain.

Chloe could accept that.

“This is really what I want, Maddy.” Chloe looked at her and answered. “The design was something Rachel and I mentioned in passing but looking at it now, it’s even better than how I envisioned it. I’m really happy that you and Rachel designed this for me.”

Maddy looked up from what she was doing and stared intensely at Chloe for a few seconds, searching for any trace of lies there may be from Chloe’s expression.

But there was none.

She turned her head down and went back to work.

“Good.”

No more words were exchanged between them.

Buzzing sound and Rachel’s laughter mixed with Dex’s voice filled the air.

Chloe closed her eyes to just enjoy the process.

It’s painful. It’s bloody. But it’s also very beautiful.

A piece of Rachel’s creativity would be inked onto her body forever.

It sounded romantic.

Like Sid and Nancy type of romantic.

But then who would be Sid and who would be Nancy between her and Rachel? And didn’t they end up dying?

Chloe shuddered at that thought and shut it down as quickly as it came.

She looked over at Rachel, who was laughing at something Dex said. Then, like there was some telepathy between them, Rachel looked over and gave Chloe the sweetest smile anyone had ever given her.

A smile that would make her forget all the pain she was going through at this moment.

Chloe blushed and smiled back.

She had no idea how she was going to tell William and Joyce about her new tattoo. She was an adult and honestly, her parents could do nothing about it. But she was not so sure William would be pleased to see such a huge tattoo on her daughter’s body.

She could already imagine Max gaping stupidly at it and Victoria going into a fit just because this was a tattoo designed by Rachel.

There was so much explaining to do.

But you only live once, right?

“You love her, don’t you?”

“Wh- what?”

Chloe was caught off guard by Maddy's question.

She blinked and blinked again.

The buzzing sound continued, Maddy never stopping once to look at her. “That’s what I thought.”

“N- no. That’s not what we are,” Chloe sputtered out, only to realize how much that hurts the moment she said it out.

Maddy threw her a glance, then a smirk.

“She’s very charming, I know,” Maddy replied curiously.

Chloe wondered what did her “I know” mean. How much did Maddy “know”?

“Good news for you,” Maddy continued while replenishing ink into the tattoo pen. “Rachie had never brought anyone here before.”

Chloe raised her eyebrows in pleasant surprise. This was indeed good news.

“But to be honest, I’m a little disappointed she brought you here. This place is a safe haven for her, and we are her family. You are not.”

Chloe furrowed her brows. She knew Maddy didn’t exactly like her, but for her to tell Chloe straight that she was disappointed Rachel brought her here, that’s downright hostile.

She wanted to talk back, wanted to protest, wanted to ask her who the hell she was to Rachel to make such a comment.

But she bit her tongue.

She was smarter than to offend the lady who had a needle in her hand and was in full control of what would be inked eternally onto her skin. Last thing she wanted was for her skull to become Pac-man.

“But if Rachie feels comfortable enough to bring you to her safe haven, who am I to judge.” Maddy added while shrugging her shoulder. “You are a lucky girl, you know that? Rachie doesn’t trust easily. But she trusts you enough to bring you here, that means something.”

Chloe mulled over what Maddy just told her, lips curled up into a grin.

It meant something. Meant the world to her.

“How do you and Rachel know each other?” Chloe asked.

Maddy looked up at Chloe. “Aren’t you a curious fella.”

“I just want to know more about her.”

“Does she want you to know more about her?”

“She--- ” Chloe started and stopped. She was stumped.

How much did she know about Rachel, really?

Why did Victoria hate Rachel so much?

What was the deal with Frank and Rachel?

Why did Rachel seem to hate her family?

How did she know Maddy and Dex?

Why on earth did Rachel make a junkyard her home away from hell?

What hell, exactly?

Shit.

Chloe really didn’t know much about Rachel. Not as much as Rachel knew about Chloe, anyway.

Maddy did not say a single word after that, just working hard to finish the tattoo for Chloe.

Chloe did not probe anymore about how Rachel know Maddy and Dex.

She should ask Rachel, and if Rachel wanted to tell her, she would. If she didn’t, Chloe should respect that as well.

But Chloe could not shake off the fact that she really _knew nothing_ about Rachel.

And that hurt more than the needle scratching her skin.

 

\-----

 

“That skull tattoo looks amazing!” Rachel said happily after they left the tattoo parlor. “I know I can count on Maddy for such a complex design. She’s the best.”

Chloe hummed in response but did not say a word.

Sensing something was amiss, Rachel reached over and held onto Chloe’s hand, interlinking their fingers affectionately.

“Does it still hurt?” Rachel asked as she kissed Chloe’s hand. “I should have told you beforehand but I really wanted to give you a surprise.”

Chloe shook her head, “It doesn't hurt… I mean it hurts but it doesn’t hurt that bad.”

“Great. Remember to apply lotion to it regularly. It’s going to itch like crazy. Just don’t scratch it, okay?”

Chloe nodded, still not saying anything.

“Think we still need two or three more sessions before the whole tattoo can be done. Don’t worry, I’ll be there with you. It’ll cover up the scars nicely by then.”

Rachel gave Chloe’s hand a squeeze before stopping and turning to face Chloe, looking straight into her azure eyes.

“Now, can you tell me what’s on your mind? You’re hella quiet.”

“Nah, it’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, Chloe. I know you.”

Chloe chewed her lips and looked away.

“Yes, Rach. You know me. But I don’t feel like I know you at all.”

Rachel stared at Chloe, stunned. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.

Chloe gave Rachel a lopsided, bittersweet smile. “I’m right, ain’t I? You never let me into your world, like I did with you.”

“Chloe…”

“It’s okay, Rach. I’m just your fuck buddy. You’re not obliged to tell me anything.”

“Chloe…”

“I know, I know. This is meant to be no strings attached, I shouldn’t –”

“Chloe!”

Creases had formed between Rachel’s brows and her cheeks were flushed red.

She looked pissed.

“I can’t believe you said that! I brought you to American Rust on _our first date_! I brought you to meet Maddy and Dex, who are practically my family! How can you say that? What do you want to know? How many people I’ve fucked? My family history? Do I need to tell you what I’d for breakfast? Oh, that’s right, you know because we just spent the night together in your room!”

“Rach, sorry. You’re right –”

“– I am not done yet! I designed a tattoo for you! Spent one week coming out with this design! Do you not know me? That’s right, you _don’t know_ me because you’re too focused on yourself to know me!”

Rachel turned and stormed off, leaving Chloe in shock.

What had she done?

What had she done??

The fresh tattoo on her arm throbbed with pain.

But it was nothing compared to the fresh wound in her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing will be slow because I'm also writing Twenty-One Pirates.  
> There's also a medical issue that I need to address which will take up much of my attention as well.  
> Rest assured, I WILL finish this series. This is my first multi-chapter story, my baby. I will definitely finish writing this.  
> I will write and update this whenever I can.
> 
> Thank you for all your support. I appreciate all your kudos and all your comments. :)


	8. They Are Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe had a problem and she hoped Max could help her.  
> Falling in love could be such a confusing moment and Chloe was afraid.  
> Maybe it was time to be brave.

Max was sharing a cozy moment with her girlfriend, watching Kimi no Na Wa (Your Name) on Victoria Chase’s 4k LED television. They were cuddling in Victoria’s bed, Max had her head nestled on her girlfriend’s shoulder, which was trembling slightly as Victoria tried her very best not to cry from watching this soppy anime. Max reached for the box of tissue on the side table and handed Victoria a piece of tissue for her to wipe her tears.

Victoria, the Queen Bitch of Blackwell, was secretly an anime fan and a big softie when watching them. This was the fourth time they were watching this movie together and the fourth time Victoria had broken down watching it. Max snuggled up to her girlfriend to hold her close, as Victoria started to sob.

“Maxine…” Victoria started and Max knew exactly what she was going to say. “If we were separated by time and space, if we were never meant to meet in this timeline, do you think you’ll be able to find me and love me?”

Max let out a small chuckle. This was the fourth time Victoria had asked her this question so Max had plenty of time to come up with the correct answer.

“Definitely, Tori,” Max smiled and nuzzled her nose on the nook of her girlfriend’s neck. “No matter the timeline, no matter the dimension, I _will_ find you. And I will love you just the same.”

Watching Kimi no Na Wa had always left Max wondering if there was an alternate reality where she did not end up with Victoria. If in such a reality, they were arch enemies instead of lovers. If the feeling that consumed them was hatred instead of love.

Max had also secretly wondered if there was an alternate universe where Chloe and she had been lovers instead. If Chloe had never ended up with Eliot, then Steph, and if Max was never with Victoria, would they be together?

It was something Max used to ponder when she was spacing out and daydreaming, something she used to think about a lot before Victoria waltzed into her life and swept her off her feet.

“Maxine…”

Now, Victoria was the only person she could think of, the only voice she could hear. And Max wanted this moment to last forever.

Victoria leaned forward and pressed her lips onto hers and she returned the kiss gently.

Victoria was the only person she could feel on her skin.

Her hands were now roaming down to Max’s waist, tugging on the zip of her jeans and moving eagerly down south. Max lifted her hips to allow better access for Victoria’s fingers to reach into her undies.

Victoria stopped right before where Max wanted her fingers to be, teasing her with light, circular motion, drawing out a light gasp from Max as she closed her eyes.

_Buzz — Buzz — Buzz_

Oh god, did Victoria take out the new vibrator she just bought from Amazon? Max braced herself for the sensation.

_Buzz — Buzz — Buzz_

Although, that vibration sounded very much like her phone. The sheets on the bed were buzzing in a rhythmic manner, and it felt nothing like the intensity of a sex toy.

Max opened her eyes and saw her phone dancing on the bed with each buzz.

“Leave it, Maxine,” Victoria purred into her ear, giving her earlobe a lick, and Max lost all will to reach for her cellphone.

She closed her eyes again–

_Buzz — Buzz — Buzz_

– but her phone just wouldn’t stop vibrating.

What if it’s her mom looking for her? What if there’s an emergency?

What if someone died?

“Sorry, Honeybear,” Max always call her that when she felt sorry for needing to stop any intimate session with Victoria.

Tori sighed, removed her hand from her girlfriend’s jeans and pouted.

Max reached for her phone and saw Chloe’s laughing face and the words _Cap’n Chlo_ flashing on her screen. Victoria saw Max’s screen and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in displeasure.

Max gave Victoria an apologetic smile before answering the phone.

“Hey Chlo, what’s _—_ ”

“Max, I screwed up! I screwed up!”

Chloe’s voice thundered out from her cellphone.

“What? What are you talking about? Calm down.”

“It’s Rach. She won’t answer my call, won’t look at my messages. I fucked up badly this time!”

“Chill, Chlo. Where are you?”

Chloe started sobbing.

Max had never heard her best friend cried before. Not since they were 7 and 8 years old and Max fell and cut her elbow so badly, it started bleeding non-stop. Chloe ran home crying, begging for William to save Max from dying.

In hindsight, it was pretty hilarious.

“A- at Bay Mall, where Starbucks is. I fucked up, Max! I’m a fucking idiot!”

Max shot Victoria a look, and Victoria pursed her lips, shaking her head in response. Max looked at her girlfriend with pleading eyes and Victoria rolled hers instead.

But Max was giving her that sick puppy look and Victoria could never resist Max like that.

Victoria sighed, stood up and reached for her car keys.

“Wait there for me, Chlo. Tori and I will reach in fifteen minutes.”

“What? No! No Bitchtoria. No. Just you, Max.”

Max chewed her lips nervously. Victoria’s not going to be pleased. But her best friend was in need and she couldn’t just leave her there alone.

“Tell you what, Chlo. We’ll pick you up and she’ll drop us at your house. Alright? It’ll just be us.”

Chloe sniffled and went silent, pondering.

Victoria crossed her arms again, annoyed that Chloe had not only interrupted their date night but wanted Max all to herself.

Sometimes Victoria felt like she was dating Max _and_ Chloe at the same time. Not only did she has to take care of that clumsy girlfriend of hers, because god knows what kind of trouble she would get into if left to her own device, being a klutz and a snoop, Victoria also had to make sure she was nice enough to Price, even though she was never the type of crowd Victoria would associate herself with.

She was getting soft. Victoria used to rule Blackwell with Nathan. Everyone respected her, even if it was out of fear. There would be a price to pay if they didn’t _—_ Prescott and Chase could easily make their lives in Blackwell a living hell.

But now, she was ready to be a chauffeur for her girlfriend, waiting to pick up that loser who was seeing, of all people, that skank, Rachel Amber. What’s happening to her?

“Alright, Max. Pick me up. Let’s go Two Whales. _BUT!_ Just the two of us.”

Max looked at Victoria apologetically again and Victoria knew exactly what was going on.

“O- ok. I’ll see you there, Chlo.”

Max ended the call and looked sheepishly at her girlfriend.

“Not like I want to hang out with Price,” Victoria huffed out before Max could even say a word. “Let’s go. I want to get this over with.”

Victoria made a sharp turn and began marching towards the door in annoyance when Max pounced on her and planted a big, wet kiss on her lips. “Thank you, Tori! You’re the best girlfriend in the world!”

Victoria tried holding the smile that’s creeping up to her lips, so it came out as a lopsided smirk.

She was getting soft.

Because her dorky, hipster girlfriend was melting her ironclad core.

 

 

 

“You alright, Chlo?”

Max was shocked to see Chloe’s eyes red and puffy like she had been crying for a long time. But she was even more shocked to see Chloe’s arm red and swelling with a tattoo of a skull.

She could see Victoria’s raising her eyebrows in astonishment at the new design on Chloe’s arm, but was really glad when Victoria chose to keep all the comments she had to herself.

Chloe just kept quiet, sniffing occasionally as Max wrapped her arm around her shoulders, careful not to touch her newly inked tattoo.

The journey to Two Whales was dreadfully quiet. Chloe refused to say anything as she stared out of the car window in a daze.

Even Victoria held her tongue and refrained from any snarky comments as she drove in silence.

What felt like an eternity later, they arrived at Two Whales and Victoria dropped them off at the entrance.

“Thanks, Tori.” Max said as she kissed her girlfriend. “I can go back on my own later.”

Victoria returned the kiss. “Just text me if you need a ride. It’s getting late.”

Max smiled. Victoria may be cold on the outside but she always had that fire for Max.

Victoria drove off, leaving Max running after Chloe as she went straight into the diner without waiting for Max.

Chloe knew Joyce had finished her shift for the day so she won’t be there to see her daughter crying like a pathetic child. Neither was Chloe in any mood to explain to her mom why she suddenly had a tattoo on her arm.

They got a seat and ordered some drinks, trying their best to act normal when their server came to serve them. They all knew Chloe after all and would certainly tell Joyce if they see Chloe bawling her eyes out.

“Chlo… what happened?” Max held her best friend’s hands tightly. Chloe’s hands were ice cold.

“Rachel ain’t talking to me. I doubted her and she was pissed. I don’t know if this is the end of… of this _thing_ , whatever this is between us.”

“Why was she mad at you? Does it have anything to do with the tattoo?”

Chloe looked at that beautifully inked skull. The tattoo that was designed by Rachel for her. How could she have ever doubted her?

“Rach wanted to give me a surprise. Brought me to a tattoo parlor to get me a really sick full sleeve tattoo done to cover up my ugly scars. She designed it for me. For someone like me! Fuck!”

Chloe sucked in a few ragged breaths to calm herself down. “I felt like I told her everything about me, y’know. About my accident, about Eliot, about Steph, even about—”

Chloe stopped herself, looked into Max’s curious, sky blue eyes before looking away.

“What about?” Max probed.

But Chloe just sighed. “Not important. Point is, I told her everything about me. But I don’t feel like I know much about her. I don’t know why she makes that junkyard her safe haven, why she seems to hate her parents. Hell, I don’t even know why Victoria hates her so much.”

Max furrowed her brows and looked at Chloe. “Do you really wanna know? Does it even matter?”

“Maybe it doesn’t. But at that moment, I just feel… I feel so…”

“Insignificant?” Max completed her sentence for her.

Max knew how that felt like. She’s been a wallflower all her life. Always in the background, always out of the limelight. It felt like nobody cared enough to share anything with her. Nobody except Chloe, of course. But when she was in Seattle, it felt like she could never open herself up to anyone, and neither would anyone trust her enough to share anything with her.

She was a nobody.

Insignificant.

“Exactly. I thought I matter to her. I thought she will trust me enough to share. But she doesn’t.”

“But she does care, Chlo. She brought you to her hideout, designed you a tattoo. Why does it matter if she chose to keep some of those things to herself?”

“I know, Max! I screwed up big time! I don’t know why I’ll feel this way. This intense sense of insecurity is driving me crazy. I love her, you know. I want her. And it scares the shit out of me, Max…”

Chloe took in a deep breath, willing herself not to cry again. Not again.

“You’ve fallen for her.”

“No shit, Sherlock.” Chloe spat and regretted instantly for doing that to her best friend. She needed to calm down but her heart was racing every time she thought of Rachel.

“I’m sorry. I can’t think straight. I don’t want this to be over but I fucked up big time.”

Max shook her head. “You didn’t fuck up, Chloe. You just need to give her time to cool down. There’s nothing you can do right now except apologize and wait for her to reach out.”

“Rach has this friend. This drug dealer. I don’t know what is she doing with him. They seem close. But why would someone like Rach be friends with a dealer? I don’t know if she’s dealing drugs for him.”

“Slow down. You’re letting your thoughts get ahead of yourself again. You know how you can overthink things? What did she tell you about him?”

“She said she refer business to him and she gets a cut. It sounds shady.” Chloe ran her fingers through her hair as she chewed on her lips in frustration.

“It does sound a little shady. But I think you shouldn’t worry about this now. Right now you need to sort out your feelings. Do you want to let Rachel know how you feel?”

“How could I? We went into this knowing it’s no strings attached.”

Max sighed. She thought she was the clueless one when it came to love. But seeing Chloe like this made her realized that everyone could be clueless when it came to matters of the heart.

“Chloe, feelings evolved, people change their minds all the time. From what you said, Rachel seems to really care about you. She designed a tattoo for you. She brought you to her hideout. You’ve to understand not everyone wears their heart on their sleeves. I don’t like to talk about myself either. Remember how frustrated Tori was when we first got together?”

Chloe looked at Max, recalling those nights Max came crying in her room because Victoria was upset with Max for not sharing anything with her.

Max was an introvert. She didn’t know to open herself up, didn’t know how to share her feelings, didn’t dare to put herself out there. Victoria on the other hand, was the loud and proud Queen of Blackwell. Everywhere she went, she needed people to look at her, to talk about her, to worship her.

Victoria and Max were like the sun and the moon. One radiating with heat and light, another cool and dull. Chloe always thought they wouldn’t last very long.

But just like how the moon could only shine because of the rays from the sun, Max shone when she was with Victoria. She opened up herself more, took more photographs and even dared to put her works out there in photography competitions. Something that was unthinkable in the past.

Victoria was a positive influence on Max and that was the only reason why Chloe could stand having that bitch around.

“You know how I’m always shy and don’t like to share things. It takes a lot for me to open up to people.” Max held onto Chloe’s hand gently and Chloe felt goosebumps forming on her arm.

“But Rachel is not like you, Max. She’s a total opposite of you.”

“Some people may appear to be extroverts but could be very reserved when it comes to personal matters. Like Tori. You gotta give her the time and space to share these with you.”

Chloe chewed on her lips again, this time in contemplation. Maybe she was too hasty to want Rachel to open up to her. She couldn’t really help it. All these emotions she was feeling towards Rachel was driving her nuts. She just wished she could let Rachel know.

As if reading her mind, Max stroked Chloe’s hand and said, “What’s stopping you from letting her know how you feel? You wouldn’t know how she feels about you if you don’t ask her, isn’t it?”

Chloe let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She was scared. Scared of losing Rachel. Like how she was scared of losing Max if she let Max know about her true feelings towards her.

“Are you afraid?” Max probed softly. “You’re Chloe Price, Captain Bluebeard of Arcadia Bay. Fear is not in your dictionary, remember? Be brave.”

Chloe scoffed when Max said that. Since young, she was always the one telling Max to be brave.

Be brave on the first day of school. Be brave in Seattle. Be brave with Victoria.

Couldn’t believe Max was the one telling her that now.

She was getting soft.

This must be the first time she ever cried for someone other than Max. All these emotions were making her soft.

Rachel was making her soft.

“Chlo, stop thinking too much. That’s so unlike you. Just do it. I know it's hard to put yourself out there. I'm afraid too when I do that. But I know Tori and you will always be there if I fail. So remember, no matter what happens, I’ll always stand by you.”

That’s right. She should just go for it. Tell Rachel how she felt. If she failed, her best friend will be there for her. But at least she tried and will have no regrets.

_‘I'd rather have a life of oh wells than a life of what ifs’_

“Thanks, Max. You really are my voice of reasoning. Can’t believe I’m saying this but Bitchtoria really has a positive influence on you.”

Max smiled. Chloe had never said anything good about her girlfriend before. Well, she was still calling her Bitchtoria, but it’s a start.

And she’s glad that Chloe was willing to have that start.

“Don’t worry, Captain. You’ll be fine. Who can ever resist your charm?” Max teased and Chloe actually blushed.

“O- Of course! I am Chloe Price, the most charming pirate of Arcadia Bay.”

“Okay, you might wanna drop that whole pirate thing with Rachel, Chlo. That’s just dorky.”

“Hey! Speak for yourself, Queen of Dork!” Chloe returned the banter cheerfully.

She knew she could always count on Max to clear her mind. Now, all she needed to do was to wait for Rachel to cool down, find her and apologize before confessing her feelings to her.

_‘Easy peasy, Chloe. You can do it.’_

 

 

 

The notification on Rachel’s phone beeped again. This was the thirtieth message Chloe had sent her today.

She stubbed the joint she had just finished into the ashtray.

“You want another one?”

Rachel nodded and was given another blunt.

She leaned forward to get her blunt lighted before lying down on the bed. For an RV, this bed was pretty cozy.

Her companion laid down beside her, smoking a blunt of his own.

“Thanks, Frank. Really needed this.”

“Anytime, Rachie. You can always count on me.” Frank replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sure a lot of us have that moment of fear before confession, that confusion of "do they feel the way like I do towards them?" moment  
> I hope I capture that in this chapter. Sometimes, falling in love means taking that leap of faith and hoping the other party will catch you.
> 
> As always, comments are welcome. I am always happy to read your comments. :)


	9. He is Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria had a visit from her best friend.  
> Things took an unexpected turn and now she really needed to attend the Vortex Club Party with Rachel.  
> Chloe was determined to make some sacrifices, in order to be with the girl of her dreams.  
> But would Rachel be pleased with Chloe's decision?

Victoria Chase hated being a Chase. 

Their family was rich, but that did not mean she could get whatever she wanted.

Unlike little girls her age, Victoria Chase never quite had the chance to play with dolls and toys. She was busy learning the piano and joining all sorts of competitions.

Unlike many children her age, Victoria Chase never quite had the chance to play with the kids in her neighborhood. Her nanny was under strict instructions to not let other pesky kids near their daughter.

Victoria Chase was a lonely kid that hated Christmas. While all the other kids were outside playing in the snow before going back home for their festive feast, Victoria would be home, all alone.

Her parents were never around. The arts scene in Paris, London, Milan, Shanghai, and Tokyo were all far more important to them than their daughter.

That was why she was an only child, and one too many for her parents.

Things changed when she was eight.

Her parents brought her to a gala dinner organized by the richest family of Arcadia Bay, the Prescott. Retrospectively, Victoria knew that her parents had only brought her along because the Prescott had a son who was her age, and what better ways to get into a family’s good books than through the son, who was the heir of Prescott’s fortune.

Victoria Chase remembered the first time she met Nathan Prescott.

He was shy and irritable and so  _ angry _ .

He hid behind his sister the whole night, not wanting to talk to anyone. Not wanting anyone to touch him.

When he was introduced to Victoria Chase, Nathan Prescott ran.

He actually ran.

Victoria was convinced that he hated her.

It was only years later that she learned Nathan just hated being a pawn used by his parents. Pimped out to the guests like he was some prized possession.

But eight years old Victoria didn’t know that.

Eight years old Victoria saw a mirror image of herself reflected on that little boy.

So she did the most sensible thing at that time.

She ran after Nathan. 

Her parents were so ashamed of her unladylike behavior. 

The Prescott was so ashamed of their son’s unruly behavior.

They had much in common after all.

Victoria found Nathan hidden behind a large pot of plant, slouched over, knees against his chest, hands wrapped around them with his face buried in between his knees.

“Go away!” Nathan shouted as Victoria approached.

Of course, Victoria did not go away. She was a Chase and no one tells her what to do unless it was another Chase.

She sat quietly beside the boy who was having his meltdown and patted his back.

“I hate such things too, you know,” Victoria muttered softly. “It sucks.”

It was that day Nathan Prescott knew he had a friend in Victoria Chase forever.

 

\-----

 

Nathan used to crash into Victoria’s room without knocking all the time. 

That changed when Victoria got together with that hipster trash. No matter how many times he washed his eyes with bleach, he would not be able to erase the image of his best friend’s hand stuck inside the animal print undies of that hipster trash, both staring at him like deers in the headlights, face red with embarrassment  _ and _ arousal.

_ Bang, bang, bang _

Nathan never liked to knock like any normal human being. He loved to use his fist to bang on the door, to let Victoria knew she had three seconds to let him in before he kicked her door down.

“For fuck’s sake, Nathan,” Victoria opened the door and sneered. “Can’t you be more gentle with my door? I don’t want to have the maintenance guy come  _ again _ to repair the hinges because of your stupid banging.”

Nathan marched in and plopped himself on Victoria’s couch, arms spread across the backrest. “I told you I’ll be here in a bit. You should have just left the damn door opened.”

Victoria crossed her hands and shook her head. After ten years, she had learned to accept her best friend’s eccentric behavior. 

Just like he had accepted hers.

“What’s up?” Victoria asked as she sat down on her bed.

“I know you met Rachel lately,” Nathan looked disgruntled. 

After Victoria’s fall out with Rachel Amber, Nathan was forced to choose a side. And of course, Nathan chose her, like the many times Victoria chose him too.

“Can’t believe you hide it from me.”

“I didn’t hide anything from you, Nate,” Victoria ran her fingers through her hair. She always did that when she was flustered. “I just don’t see a point in telling you when I’m not going to see her again. Ever.”

Nathan looked at Victoria with hurt in his eyes. 

Nathan was not someone who trusted people easily. He did when he was younger and he was made use of too many times. 

The one that hurt him the most was a girl named Samantha, who left him after she secured a scholarship in Chicago thanks to his family’s connection. Nathan loved her but she left him despite his plea for her to stay.

What Nathan didn’t know was that there was a condition to getting that scholarship from the Prescott family — she was to stay away from Nathan forever. If the Prescott ever found out that she had sent even a Facebook message to Nathan, her scholarship will be revoked, and her place in the university removed.

Victoria knew about this because Samantha begged Victoria to take care of Nathan for her. Samantha promised to be back for him after she graduated but Victoria thought it was just utter bullshit to make herself feel better about accepting the scholarship. 

However, Victoria promised Samantha to never speak a word of this for she knows that Nathan would go mental if he knew his parents had once again ruined his relationships, like they had been doing for his entire life.

Nathan was already on a cocktail of medication to keep his emotions in check but this broke him bad. It resulted in him self-medicating over a cocktail of drugs.

The hurt he had in his eyes now reflected all of the times people had let him down. Victoria was not going to be one of those people. Not after what they had been through.

“Look, Nate, you know how much I hated Rachel. She appeared out of the blue and called me a cow in front of Maxine!” Victoria said with a scowl on her face. “I know you and Rachel had a history together, but don’t we all? She hurt you as much as she hurt me! So why bother if she’s back or not?”

Rachel always kept Nathan wrapped around her little finger. He was her supplier for party favors and alcohol. In return, Rachel would always tease Nathan with a little kiss or a well-placed hand on his thigh. Victoria suspected they had hooked up before but she had never asked Nathan about it and he never tells. 

When Rachel quitted the Vortex Club, she let leak about the drugs that Nathan was supplying in the parties, causing the school to conduct an investigation into this accusation. But thanks to the amount of influence Prescott had over Blackwell, the investigation was dropped. 

Harm was already done to Nathan though. He trusted Rachel as part of the PAC who ran the Vortex Club and was betrayed.

“Rachel called me,” Nathan shuffled his hands nervously on his pants. Nathan was always a nervous kid. “She said she wanna join our next Vortex party with a friend of hers. Said you agreed to a double date.”

“What the fuck, I never agree to it!” Victoria exclaimed before she stopped her train of thought.

Victoria recalled agreeing to go to the Vortex Club together with her hippie.

She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

Darn it. She had forgotten all about it.

“So there’s no double date?” Nathan quirked his eyebrows and looked at Victoria curiously.

Victoria shrugged. “Look, I told Maxine we can go to the next party together. Whether that bitch goes or not and who she brings to the party is really none of my goddamn business.”

Nathan let out a sigh. “I hate to be involved in your lesbian drama but next time, can you at least let me know if an ex Vortex Club member is coming back to join our party?”

“Ex Vortex Club member? God, Nathan. Have you forgotten how she screwed you over?” 

“She’s just mad that we abandoned her, Vic. We were supposed to be the club heads, the PAC, but I chose to take your side and ostracized her. I mean, what she did was fucked up but we fucked her over too.” Nathan looked up into Victoria’s eyes to reason with her.

Victoria could not believe her ears. This bitch had only spoken to Nathan once over the phone and she already had him wrapped around her little finger, again!

“Are you for real, Nate? What she did was not just fucked up, she tried to fucking ruin your life. You could have been expelled for what you did, you dumbass!” Victoria pressed her fingers on her temples and rubbed them gently. This talk was giving her a massive headache. 

Nathan shrugged, “I know, Vic. But she apologized. I think she’s really sorry for doing that shit to me.”

“God, Nate. I can’t believe you fall for that,” Victoria chided angrily. “She’s still that conniving bitch that fucked you over. Don’t you  _ ever _ forget that.”

“What the fuck ever, Vic,” Nathan rolled his eyes. “We will be partying together for the next Vortex Club party. You can join us if you want. Just don’t be a wet blanket.”

Victoria sighed heavily, hands up in the air to concede defeat. “Fine. Just don’t bring any party favors that night. You don’t want to risk it around that bitch.”

Nathan scoffed. “I may be crazy but I’m not dumb. I’ll pop them before I go to the party. Let me know if you need anything.” And he gave Victoria a smirk.

“Are you nuts? Maxine is coming with me that night. She hates it when I’m high.”

“Gosh, you are so whipped,” Nathan said with a snigger.

“Shut up, asshole.”

\-----

 

Chloe sipped her coffee anxiously at the Two Whales diner. Rachel had finally replied her and Chloe convinced Rachel to meet at the diner so that Chloe could buy her dinner as an apology.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” Joyce came over to check on her daughter, after noticing her daughter bobbing in her seat nervously.

“Yeah. I’m great,” Chloe lied. 

She pulled her leather jacket closer to her body. She had yet to tell William and Joyce about the tattoo she had gotten. She knew it was silly of her to think her parents would flip out because of a tattoo. After all, William was a cool dad and from all the stories he had shared, her mom and dad used to have quite a wild time together when they were younger.

But Chloe was just not ready to share that tattoo with her parents yet. She wanted to finish the full tattoo before showing it to her dad. Joyce might frown at the size of the tattoo but she was pretty sure William would give her the thumbs up when he finally saw it.

“Who are you waiting for?” Joyce probed, sensing the nervous energy from her daughter.

“I don’t think you know her. I’ll introduce you when she’s here. She’s an amazing person.” Chloe smiled weakly at her mom, trying to convince herself that Rachel would be cool with her after an apology dinner.

Just then, the door opened and a familiar figure with dirty blonde hair, cat-liked hazel eyes and a smile that could melt anyone’s heart.

Chloe swallowed hard. 

“Hey, babe. You calmed your tits yet?” Rachel said with a smile as she sat opposite Chloe at the booth.

“Um…y- yeah…” Chloe stammered, feeling embarrassed with her behavior a couple of days back. “I- I’m glad you agreed to meet me.”

“I’ll never turn down a free dinner,” Rachel gave Chloe a wink. 

“Hi, y’all,” Joyce turned up again with a menu in her hand. “So you’re the friend my silly daughter has been anxiously waiting for.”

Rachel raised her eyebrows and gave Chloe a side glance. “Good evening, Joyce! Wow, I never know Chloe is your daughter. Now I can see where she get her beauty genes from.” Rachel gave Joyce a charming, sweet smile and Joyce gave her a hearty laugh in return.

Wow, Rachel was even charming her mom’s socks off.

“Never know I make Chloe nervous. I don’t bite.” Rachel turned and gave Chloe a toothy grin.

“What can I get you for today, dear?”

“The usual waffle and bacon,” Rachel replied with a smile. “Thanks, Joyce.”

Joyce had finally walked back to the kitchen, giving them the much-needed privacy. 

Chloe looked at Rachel sheepishly. “I’m sorry I was an asshole.”

“Yup. You’re one, alright.” Rachel nodded in agreement. 

“I just…” Chloe paused to find her words, running her fingers through her hair. “I want to know more about you. We are always sharing good days together. I want to be there to share your bad days too.”

Rachel flashed Chloe a smile, a strange, bittersweet smile. “You being here with me to share my good days is good enough for me to go through my bad days.”

Chloe furrowed her brows in response. There’s a burning question in her chest that she really needed to get off of. She lowered her voice and asked. “Why are you helping Shaggy with his shady business? What’s really going on?”

Rachel’s smile faded and was replaced by a stern look. Chloe shuddered at her sudden change of demeanor. She looked away from Rachel, waiting for Rachel to lash out at her.

But instead of lashing out at Chloe, Rachel said in a small voice. “I am planning to go LA. To start my modeling career. I need money for that. My dad is not a big fan of that idea. He has always wanted me to be a lawyer, that’s why I am studying international law.”

Chloe could sense the sadness in Rachel’s tone. She reached out and held Rachel’s hand, her thumb stroking the back of her hand gently.

Rachel sighed. “I’m not gonna use any of his money for this move. Not going to need anything from him again, not after what he did to mom. I just got to earn as much as I can and leave this hellhole.”

A hundred and one thoughts raced through Chloe’s mind. What happened to her mom? What did her dad do? Was it so bad that she needed to resort to working for a drug dealer just to get out of Arcadia Bay? Did she hate her dad that much? When was she leaving Arcadia Bay? What about her life here?

However, Chloe chose to ask the most important question instead. “If you’re going to LA, can I come along? I’ve always been interested in the programs of UCLA. We can share an apartment together and save money on the rental.”

Rachel smiled at Chloe’s suggestion. “What? Are you going to drop out of Blackwell college just to come with me?”

“I chose to study in Blackwell college because of Max. Now that she has Victoria, I should think about what I really want and pursue my dreams.” Chloe said confidently to convince not only Rachel but herself that this was a good idea. “Just like how you’re pursuing your dreams in LA.”

“And you have the money to make this trip?” Rachel asked doubtfully. She had been trying to save up since a few years ago and she still hasn’t had enough.

Chloe pondered over that for a while. She could ask her parents for the money but she really shouldn’t, now that she was an adult. 

“I… I could check if UCLA has any scholarship I could take up. I may not look like it, but I’m really good at chemistry and bioscience. I think I might be able to get a scholarship. If I start waiting tables from now, I should have enough by the next admission term.”

Rachel pursed her lips at what Chloe just said. There was a reason why her online id was called Freespirited. She never liked to be tied down by anything and anyone.

“You don’t have to do this for me, babe.” Rachel tried to reason with her. “You should really do something that you want, not for anyone else. Not for Max and certainly not for me.”

But Chloe had already made up her mind. “What are you talking about? UCLA is a great university. It’s a move that is good for me. I’m not doing this just for you, I swear.”

Rachel looked at her, unconvinced.

“Look, I promise I’ll do my research on the university before I make my move. If I do decide to make the move, it will solely be for myself and not because of you.” Chloe said that to convince Rachel, even though she had already made her decision.

She loved Rachel and would do anything to be with her.

Rachel sighed. “Alright. Then you better think of what to say to Joyce when you have decided.” She looked at Joyce as she walked from the kitchen straight to their table.

“Here’s y’all food, one waffle with bacon for the lovely lady, and one cheeseburger for my silly daughter,” Joyce said as she placed their food on their table.

“Enjoy!” She chirped and she walked back to the counter.

Chloe looked at her mom and said quietly, “Ya… I gotta think about how to tell mom and dad about this.”

“How’s your tattoo?” Rachel tried to change the topic. That’s enough serious chat for the day. 

“It’s healing okay, I think. Very itchy though.” Chloe said as she tried to roll her sleeve up.

Rachel looked at that inked skull on Chloe’s pink skin. The redness had certainly subsided quite a bit. “I think you will be ready to get the second part inked in a week’s time. And it should all heal nicely before the Vortex Party.”

Chloe looked at Rachel in mild surprise. “So we are really going to the party? I thought you only said that to rile Victoria up.”

Rachel returned a cheeky grin. “Of course I’m serious. And I want you there with me. Don’t tell me you are chickening out now.”

“No way!” Chloe exclaimed. She’s not going to miss out on making Bitchtoria squirmed. 

“Great!” Rachel took a bite of her waffles. “I’ll make sure you are dressed up perfectly as my date that night.”

Chloe could feel the heat rushing to her face. She would be Rachel’s date. That’s so awesome.

Maybe she would ask Rachel to be her girlfriend that night.

She smiled to herself at that thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a month to update this chapter. Apologies for that. I was too busy updating Twenty One Pirates. That story is just too fun to stop writing.
> 
> I have included Nathan in this chapter, since the Vortex Club is run by the PAC after all. I also gave a little background on Nathan and Victoria's friendship. It's shown in the game that they are tight. I always think that's because they have so much in common and they are always by each other's side to lick each other's wound.
> 
> Hope you like this chapter! As always, comments are welcome!


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